Lazy Saturdays
by grayautumnsky13
Summary: Mal and Regina spend a series of uneventful Saturdays together. (A bunch of fluffy little one shots set in the same verse)
1. Chapter 1

It's a gray and blustery sort of day late in the fall and a Saturday—the sort of day that is perfect for warm fires and cuddling up under thick, knit blankets, and the sort of day when changing out of pajamas simply isn't necessary. Henry is with Emma and Killian, and they have the house to themselves—and almost as a twist of fate, that very morning _Antiques Road Show—_ one of the few shows they actually enjoyed together— was added to Netflix—something Mal often referred to as the most impressive magic this world had to offer.

They start early—pulling blankets off of the bed and settling on opposite ends of the couch—as they watch the only show they both genuinely enjoy. For Mal, she loves seeing what others value, what they have hidden in their closets and the little things they have hoarded in their basements—and for Regina, it's simply the spectacle of it all. So Mal marvels over baroque clocks and mid-century martini tumblers, going on and on about how _this_ is why you shouldn't throw things away and _that_ is why you should hold onto items that serve no functional use, Regina watches, quietly judging people for the cluttered attics and exaggerated gasps when they realize the small fortune that had been hiding in a box in a damp basement.

By mid-day, Regina's thoughts begin to wander to lunch and she can't help but laugh when Mal only answers her question with monosyllabic responses she watches in awe as an elderly woman goes through her button-collection, pointing out a few passed on the from colonial period that she thinks might be from military uniforms. Shaking her head, Regina laughs and gets up off the couch in search of last night's Chinese take-out.

"Can you believe it?" Mal asks, accepting the bowl of lo mien without looking away from the TV, "Two hundred dollar _each_ for those buttons."

"Imagine that," Regina says with a grin and a little laugh, settling back on her side of the couch, unable to stop herself from thinking how adorable Mal is like this—so engaged and excited about something so unimportant and inconsequential to her actual life, completely enthralled by someone else's fortune. Her smile brightens as Mal gasps and squeals over tea sets and framed needle points—and suddenly Regina realizes that she finds herself much more entertained by Mal than show.

By late in the afternoon, Mal is still spellbound, but Regina's interests have shifted. Her bare foot slides up and down Mal's leg, as she pretends to watch an old man explaining his stamp collection—and slowly, but surely, Mal takes notice, turning her head and looking at Regina. Regina's lip catches between her teeth as her foot travel higher, sliding brazenly over the flannel pajamas covering Mal's legs.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you _think_ I'm doing?" Regina asks in return as a slow smile edges onto her lips, no longer interested in musty stamp collections or pottery discovered at a yard sale, and pushes herself forward, angling herself over Mal, who is genuinely torn between her at the _Antiques Road Show_. Regina grins as her lips brush over her jaw, dropping teasing kisses until Mal rolls onto her back and links her long arms around her neck, giggling softly as their lips meet, and they lose themselves in a lazy kiss.

"OH. MY. GOD! OH MY _GOOOOOOD_!"

Regina jumps, breaking the kiss and pulling herself up and her heart beat quickens as she turns wide eyed toward the TV where an elderly woman with a tight bun is shrieking over the value of a china doll. Mal laughs out—a low, rumbling laugh—as she draws Regina back down to her. This time this kiss is deeper and more intense—and this time, she can't focus on much other the warm, wet lips and free roaming hands.

So they never hear the lock turning and the door creaking open; they never hear the footsteps coming closer and closer until it's far too late to regain composure.

First, there's a gasp—a loud sucking in of air accompanied by a little squeak—and it barely registers over the sound of the TV. But then the babbling that follows catches her attention—a steady string of "oh, god, I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" and Regina groans as she pulls away, grimacing to find Snow standing awkwardly in the doorway, her eyes focused on the crown molding as her cheeks flush and she fidgets with her hands. "Regina, I'm so, _so_ sorry…"

"You keep saying that," Regina says, more annoyed than embarrassed.

"I really didn't mean to…"

"Yet here you are," Mal murmurs in a voice that soft yet cutting, as she pulls herself up and smiles curtly.

"Honestly, I didn't mean to…"

"We've covered that," Regina says, taking a breath and slowly releasing it. "The question is why are you here?"

"Oh," Snow breathes out as a small smile stretches onto her lips. "You weren't answering your phone and… and I was worried."

Regina blinks and she can almost feel a smile tugging at the corners of Mal's mouth. "I'm fine."

"Yes, I… I see that."

"We were just trying to have a… quiet day in."

"An _Antiques Road Show_ marathon and… a little alone time."

"Ooh, I _love_ that show," Snow says taking a little step forward. "Did you see the one the buttons?"

"From the soldiers' uniforms?" Mal asks, scooting into the edge of the couch. "I did! It's one of my favorites."

"Can you _believe_ how much those _little things_ were _worth_?"

"That's why I _never_ throw anything away…"

Regina whimpers a little as the other two women launch into a conversation about typewriters and bookends and other oddities they've seen and loved on the show, and the next thing she knows Snow is sitting down in the arm chair beside the couch and Mal is turning up the volume. Regina looks between them unable to believe that only five minutes ago Mal's soft lips were pressed into hers and her hands were skimming beneath her pajama top, and now they're watching TV with Snow White.

"Oh, that mirror is _gorgeous_ …" Snow says as Regina's bottom lip pouts out.

"It _is_ ," Mal agrees as her arm circles around Regina's waist and she leans back into the couch cushions, pulling Regina with her. "You said you want me to make more of an effort with them," she whispers as she nuzzles against her cheek, her lips pressing gently at her jaw. "So, I'm making an effort." Regina sighs and looks back at her, unable to annoyed with that as she offers her a grateful grin in reply, and then settles back into her and decides to enjoy the show…and decides they can pick up where they left off later on.


	2. Chapter 2: Breakfast in Bed

Maleficent crosses her arms over her chest and narrows her eyes, letting them roam judgmentally over the items lined up on the counter. There's a bowl of eggs and some uncooked bacon on a plate, bread in need of toasting and coffee beans that somehow must be turned into liquid. She huffs a little, thinking to herself that it shouldn't be this difficult—after all, _modern_ appliances are supposed to _simplify_ things and make things _easier_ , or at least that's what Regina told her every time she even tries to complain.

In the Enchanted Forest breakfast had never been much of a concern—of course, dietary habits were different there, and a morning meal rarely consisted of fluffy eggs and steaming cups of coffee. In the Enchanted Forest, food was just viewed differently—sustenance for the day rather than something that should bring enjoyment. And while she didn't quite understand the social and emotional aspects of a home-cooked meal, Regina certainly did—and she had to remind herself of that every time she felt the burning desire to torch the entire kitchen.

Taking a long and deep breath, Mal turns to the cabinet and pulls it open as she chews on her bottom lip and considers her options—and she really wonders if all of this is necessary. There are sauté pans and sauce pans and frying pans, and each are essentially the same to her—a metal surface that would heat up all the same beneath a flame. She reaches blindly into the cabinet, choosing a flat pan with a handle and little grooves along the interior surface, and she smiles triumphantly—not because she knows she's made the correct choice, but she can finally move forward with this process.

But then she turns to the stove and her hand stops just short of one of the knobs, and she can't quite remember what all of the buttons do. Regina's explained it a hundred times—turn this one to do this, press that one to do that—and she made it seem so easy. But it wasn't, and she asked again and again—and to no avail, she still didn't really understand the differences between _bake_ and _confection_ or what a _medium-high_ flame looked like or why anyone would choose a _low_ flame and take double the time to cook something as you could with a high one.

With a little huff, she sets down the pan and twists a knob—immediately frowning when a back burner ignites instead of a the front one—and instead of trying to figure out which knob would light a flame beneath the burner she wants it under, she simply moves the pan. A little smile creeps onto her lips at the little victory over the stove and she turns back to the counter and looks between the eggs and the bacon and the bread—and an overwhelming sensation washes over her because she has to start somewhere, with one of these things, and for the life of her, she doesn't know which. For a second, she considers—theoretically, bacon should take longer, but eggs should require more attention. Chewing at her lip she shakes her head and it occurs to her that Regina would probably cook them at the same time in one of those other fancily named pans, but the only thing that sounds less appealing the cold eggs is the thought of having a second pan and a second burner to pay attention to. So, she reaches for the bacon and dumps it onto the pan, not really caring what she _should_ do.

It's a jumbled heap in the pan, and something about that doesn't seem right. Whenever Regina makes it, she lays it out in rows, gently poking and prodding until it's fully cooked and perfectly crisp—but past experience tells her a _metal_ fork on a hot pan will be a poor choice and despite her days as a dragon and her penchant for fire, she isn't interested in burning anything, especially not the sensitive skin on the pads of her fingers. So she reaches for a wooden spatula, awkward shoving it beneath the bacon, twisting it around until the bacon is somewhat separated and she deems it good enough.

And then she stands there, blinking absently at the bacon, watching it sizzle and pop as she wonders just how long this is going to take. It occurs to her, she could look it up; after all, Regina has at least fifty recipe books on a shelf in the cabinet above the stove. But that has proven to be a futile exercise in the past. She's generally not looking for the sorts of things listed in those books—and as Regina gently and lovingly reminded her, the _basics_ are generally not included, anyway. Blinking, she looks back to the stairs and she wonders if Henry's awake yet—he always knows these sorts of things and when he doesn't, he taps on that little device that's perpetually connected to his hand and supplies whatever information she needs. But it's early and the chances of a teenager being awake are slim. So she sighs and just continues to stare.

The pan bubbles and pops and when the bacon appears to be done, she scoops it out with the same flat wooden spatula, awkwardly shifting it from the pan to a plate—and she knows there's something else she's supposed to do to it, but for the life of her, she can't remember what that thing is. With a little sigh, she shrugs her shoulders, remembering that Henry once told her that you just can't go wrong with any form of bacon, and once more she deems it good enough.

And then she turns back to the counter—and once more is at a total loss.

Coffee takes awhile, but the eggs will require tending—and for an all too brief moment, she wonders if she could simply serve bacon for breakfast—because she truly doesn't know what to do next. Tentatively, she reaches for the bowl of eggs, chewing at her lip as she turns back to the stove, watching as the bacon grease sizzles. Groaning, she reaches for a dish rag, pulling the pan toward her as she contemplates how one would even go about discarding hot grease.

"You need that," Henry's voice informs her.

She turns, blinking back at him as relief washes over her. "Oh…"

"But you don't want that pan. The eggs will stick in the grooves, no matter what kind you decide to make."

"Kind?"

At that Henry laughs, and for a split second, he reminds her of Regina—and somehow, that relaxes her a little.

"Here," Henry says, pushing into the kitchen. "Give me that and you go get a frying pan." Mal nods and blinks because while she knows the name of the pan—Regina's certainly said it enough while happily gliding through the kitchen while preparing all sorts of meals—she's not entirely sure which one that is, and once more, Henry chuckles softly. "Or, you hold that and I'll get it." Mal nods and watches as Henry stoops in front of the cabinet, quickly retrieving the pan and setting it down onto the lit burner, moving with such ease that he's almost graceful—and a smile tugs onto her lips, as she thinks of how many times Henry's done this before over the years with Regina hovering proudly over him as he learned. "Okay, so pour the grease into the…"

"Are you sure? That just doesn't sound… sanitary."

"I'm sure," Henry says with a nod, watching as she drains the bacon grease into the new pan. "Now, what type of eggs did you want to make?"

Mal only blinks as she watches Henry lift one of the eggs from the bowl. "Oh. Well. Cooked ones."

Shaking his head, a grin twists onto his lips. "Is it safe to assume these are for mom?"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't go through this charade for myself." Mal sighs. "She likes the… runny ones."

"Sunny-side up," Henry says with a nod. "And she does. So, once the pan heats up, we'll do the eggs. But now we're going to do the coffee."

"I hate the coffee," Mal mumbles beneath her breath, as she follows him to the counter, watching as he stoops to another cabinet and withdraws some sort of appliance she hasn't learned the name of. "How do you know how to do this? Children don't drink coffee?"

"True," Henry agrees with a nod. "But my mom's obsessed with good coffee. She ordered these beans from _Kenya_."

"Is that… far away?"

"Yeah," Henry says with a slight chuckle behind his words. "A little bit." She makes a mental note to look up Kenya in the atlas on the shelf in Regina's study, much more interested in the wider world around them in this realm than the damn kitchen appliances in this room, and she wonders what it's like there and why Regina would order her coffee beans from there—and then suddenly she jumps at the loud, awful noise coming from the appliance in Henry's hands and her eyes widen as the beans slowly but surely turn to a coarse, almost-but-not-quite powdery substance. "So, you put this in the filter and…"

"What's a filter?"

"Right…" Henry reaches for package in the cabinet, opening it up and retrieving a paper dish of sorts as he pulls out a little drawer at the top of the stainless steel coffee maker she does her best to avoid. "So, she likes four scoops," Henry tells her as he hands her a little blue spoon, then twirls back to the stove to check on the bacon grease. "And once you do that, use a cup to pour water in the back.

"Well, that sounds easy enough," Mal murmurs, not at all convinced that it will be anything even close to easy. She inhales deeply, admittedly the bacon and the coffee grounds smell incredible and she hopes that Regina doesn't awaken from the delightful smells and the obnoxious sounds; and she grins triumphantly as she fills the back canister with water and closes the lid without spilling anything on herself. And then she blinks. "Henry, it's… not doing anything."

"That's because it's not on."

"Oh…"

"You don't know how to turn it on, do you?"

"It's… _one_ of those buttons…" She scowls. "Why are there _so many_ buttons?"

Henry laughs. "Press the red one."

"Oh…" Mal murmurs as she presses her finger to the button, pressing it in and quickly withdrawing as the coffeemaker comes to life, hissing and steaming and spitting—and she suppresses the urge to hiss back because as wonderful as it smells and as incredible it as she knows it'll taste, she _hates_ this damn machine more than anything.

"So for the eggs," Henry begins as she tears her gaze from the coffee maker. "You just…crack them over the edge of the frying pan and wait for the clear part to turn white."

"Okay," Mal says with a nod, looking back and narrowing her eyes at the coffeemaker. "I should be able to do that." Henry nods and hands her an egg. Inhaling a short breath, she taps the egg on the edge, just as he instructed and she frowns when nothing happens. "Isn't it supposed to… break?"

"Yeah," Henry tells her. "Do it a little harder."

"Alright," she says again before slapping the egg onto the edge of the pan, feeling a momentary victory as the egg cracks open and slides into the pan—and then she notices the little pieces of brown shell in the clear part of the egg. "Oh, bloody hell…"

"You can just pick those out," Henry tells her, handing her a fork. "I used to do that all of the time."

"What? When you were nine?"

"Well, more like six, but…" Mal sighs in frustration as she picks out the egg shells. "I'll do the other ones. Can you get one of the spatulas?" She nods and opens the drawer beside the stove, and when her fingers touch to a rubber tipped spatula, Henry clears his throat. "Oh, those ones are for mixing. We need a metal one."

"Of course…" she mumbles in annoyance.

"How about I finish these," Henry says as he sprinkles some sort of flaky spice over the eggs. "You do the toast."

Mal sighs and nods, part of her wishing she could shift herself into dragon form and breathe fire onto the bread, toast it, and be done with it; but she knows that's not an option…at least not in the house, and the last time she did it outside, she frightened the little girl next door…and promised the girl—and Regina—that she wouldn't do it again. And while she was a lot of things, she wasn't one to go back on her word, no matter how frustrated she as with the damn toaster.

Plucking a few slices of bread from the bag, she slowly and carefully places them in the slots, and holds her breath as she pushes down on the lever. She watches as the toaster's insides begin to glow red and her heart beat begins to quicken, knowing that at some point very soon, the toasted bread is going to pop up and… "Son of a…"

"You know," Henry begins, as he slides the spatula beneath the eggs and drops them down onto two places, and her heart beats wildly in her chest as the toast sits at the top of the toaster. "If you didn't hover over it, it wouldn't scare you."

"That's… a valid point," Mal murmurs in reply.

"Okay, the eggs are done," Henry tells her as he sets two plates down on the counter. "And I am going back to bed."

"But… you're already awake."

"I'm a teenager. It's unnatural for me to be awake on a Saturday before ten."

"Oh…"

"Hey, can we go on a hike this afternoon?" A smile tugs onto her lips as she looks up at him. "Maybe you can show me how I know which berries I can eat." She nods at the thought, sincerely looking forward to that. "We can pick some and maybe tonight we can…"

"Do _not_ say _bake_ a pie."

"Oh, well, maybe mom could…"

"That's better," she tells him with a slight laugh. "How about we go around… eleven? Will you be up by then?"

"Perfect," he tells her with a nod as he heads to the stairs, and a moment later she hears his door close.

It takes her a few minutes to arrange the bacon and the toast on the plates with the eggs. She pours two mugs of coffee, then reaches into the refrigerator for some other things—jam and butter, cream for the coffee and some cut up fruit—and when all is said and done, she gives the coffee maker one last glare, before heading up the stairs to the bedroom.

She sets the tray down on the nightstand, gently sitting down at Regina's side. She runs her long fingers up and down the length of Regina's arm a couple of times before Regina begins to wake up and she waits for her to twist from her side onto her back—and she can't help but grin as Regina presses herself back into the pillow, trying to hang onto sleep for just a little bit longer. Mal feels a pang of guilt at the thought of waking her, knowing how difficult it is for Regina to sleep—and despite the hot breakfast sitting on the nightstand, she wonders if Henry didn't have the right idea, and she thinks about how good it would feel to slip back into bed beside Regina and cuddle up beside her and fall back to sleep.

But then Regina starts to stir and she leans in, brushing her lips quickly over her jaw, before letting them sweep to the crook of her neck. Regina murmurs something groggily and she can almost feel her smiling as her hand reaches up and her fingers slip blindly into Mal's hair, pulling her into a kiss. The kiss is soft and fleeting, gentle and sweet, completely unrushed and with no expectation behind it, and when Regina pulls back, she smiles warmly and says good morning—and when she notices the breakfast tray sitting on the nightstand and looks back to Mal with wide and sleepy eyes.

" _You_ … made breakfast."

"Eggs, bacon, and toast," Mal replies, a proud grin stretching across her lips—not because she actually made breakfast, but because Regina's smile is exactly what she'd been hoping for. "Well, I can't take all of the credit. Henry helped. A lot."

"I… _can't believe_ you made me breakfast," Regina says, pulling herself up so she can better see the tray—and then she reaches for her, pulling her into kiss that quite literally takes her breath away—and her battles with the toaster and the coffee maker are completely worthwhile.


	3. Chapter 3: An Afternoon at the Beach

There was a little house on a secluded little section of the beach, just where the woods ended and beach began. The house had more windows than it had walls, and even in the cooler months, Regina loved going there and watching waves. During the curse, she spent a lot of time there—it was smaller than her house, cozier really, and felt like an escape—and when Henry came along, she'd take him there on warm summer mornings to feed the sea gulls and wade in the water. And now, it was a place she and Mal liked to go to for a little alone time.

They'd spent that summer walking along the beach, picking up sea glass as their feet sunk into the wet sand. They sat on the rocks and they watched Henry swim as their feet skimmed along the ocean water, and at night they cuddled in front of a bon fire as Henry roasted marshmallows. On those nights, it was too hot to sleep in clothes, so they'd opened all of the windows and laid atop the covers, trading lazy kisses for lingering touches between restless bouts of sleep—and nonetheless, they always woke up early and rested, ready to do it all again the next day.

When summer faded into fall, and the days got cooler and cooler, they found themselves still drawn to little beach house and unable to get it go.

"We should go down to the beach," Mal murmurs as she stares out the large picture window, looking out at the foamy waves brushing across the sand. "It's such a beautiful day."

"It's forty degrees outside…"

"Forty- _three_ degrees," Mal counters, grinning as she looks back over her shoulder at Regina. "Come on. What are you afraid of?"

"Freezing my ass off, for starters."

"I'm sure we can find a way to keep each other warm."

Regina looks up and a smile tugs up at the corner of her mouth. Mal's smiling at her and looking at her in a way that makes it nearly impossible to resist. Mal comes closer, placing a knee onto the arm chair where Regina's sitting and Regina's eyebrows arch as Mal reaches for her hands. She shakes her head and sighs as Mal pulls her up and she laughs as she tugs her through the house, collecting extra blankets and pulling on sweatshirts.

On the way out, Regina grabs a bottle of wine from the rack, a couple of glasses and the corkscrew. She slips on a pair of slippers and shivers as Mal opens the door, but nonetheless grinning as Mal's fingers lace through hers as they walk down to the beach—and she can't help but think how insane this is.

There are two wooden beach chairs in front of fire pit and Mal covers one with a thick fleece blanket as Regina lights the fire. Mal drapes one of the blankets around Regina, then drapes another over herself and holds the glasses as Regina opens and pours the wine—and after that first, long sip, Regina feels a little bit of warmth rising at her core.

They settle together on the chair—Regina on her lap with her legs draped over the arm of the chair and Mal's fingers strumming lightly over her hip. Regina's head rests on Mal's shoulder and Mal's head rests atop hers, and every now and then, one of them cuddles a little closer as the wind picks up.

They watch blue-gray water ripples as it washes onto the shore and there's something so relaxing about the way it pushes up and recedes, back and forth against the sand. Regina feels herself relaxing and she presses herself closer. A grin creeps up onto her lips as she brushes her lips over Mal's jaw, kissing and sucking the cool soft skin.

Letting out a contented sigh, Mal's head falls back and her hand slips around her hip. Her fingers press lightly and encouragingly, rubbing and kneading Regina's skin. Regina kisses down her throat, pulling herself up to reach the other side of her jaw, and forcing Mal's hand to fall over her ass.

"Mmmm," Mal breathes out, as her fingers drip into the waist band of Regina's pajama bottoms. "Your lips feel incredible."

"Yeah?"

"So warm…"

Regina's tongue flicks against Mal's earlobe and she nips at it, laughing softly, "I think we should go back inside."

"No, we should stay right here."

Lifting her head, Regina cocks and eyebrow, "Are you suggesting…"

"No one's around," Mal tells her with a mischievous grin. "Besides, if anyone did see us, all they'd see is a pile of blankets."

Catching her lip between her teeth, Regina looks around at the secluded little section of the beach—and then, with a coy grin of her own, she turns herself in Mal's lap. Her knees straddle her hips and her hands rest on her shoulder as she kisses her—and she moans gently into the kiss as Mal's hands slip beneath the band of her lace panties, and slide over her ass, grabbing playfully at warm, soft skin.

Her fingers work quickly but absently, feeling her way between them as she works the zipper of Mal's hoodie and she smiles into the kiss. Her hands slip beneath Mal's tank top, sliding up her torso and she feels a surge of triumph when she discovers that Mal isn't wearing a bra. She laughs a little as she pulls away and Mal gives her a sultry little smile as her hands withdraw from her panties. Regina pulls herself up onto her knees and Mal pulling down her pajama bottoms—and once more, Regina shivers in the cold.

Taking the opportunity, Regina tugs at Mal's tank top. Mal lifts it over her head and drops it into the sand and she smiles as Regina's hands knead at her soft, small breasts. She closes her eyes and her head falls back against the chair as Regina thumbs and forefingers roll her nipples and she lets out of soft moan as Regina's lips skim across her clavicle.

Drawing the blanket up further around them, Mal's hands slide between Regina's legs and Regina's breath catches in her throat. Blinking she looks up at Mal as her long fingers slide through the wet spot between her legs, and her hips begin to rock back and forth.

"You like that," Mal says as a smile curls onto her lips.

"Mm, I love your fingers…"

"Yeah?" She asks as she slips one inside of her. "Do you like this?"

"More…" Regina breathes out as her hips rock a little harder. "Another…"

"Mmm, like this?" Mal asks as she slips a second finger in. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes…" Regina says with a little gasp as Mal's fingers begin to slide in and out and her thumb presses to her clit. "Oh…" she breathes out as her eyes open, and she grins when she sees Mal's devilish little smile. Leaning forward, Regina kisses across her clavicle and up her jaw. She sucks her earlobe as her fingers continue to knead Mal's breasts and her hips continue to rock against Mal's hand.

She feels the cool air sweep over her shoulders as the blanket falls away from her, and she doesn't care enough to pull them back up around herself. Instead, she smiles against Mal's skin, enjoying the contrast against hot and cold.

Mal's lips catch between her teeth as Regina's breath grows ragged, and Regina's lips find hers. Their kiss his hurried and wet and so full of urgency. She can feel her orgasm building and nearing as Mal's fingers move faster, pumping in and out of her and then slowly to curl inside of her as thumb rubs roughly against her clit. She grinds down, rolling her hips as she pulls away from Mal's lips, babbling incoherently as her body shudders.

"That's it," Mal purrs as her fingers slow their pace. "Yes," she murmurs as she withdraws her fingers and her thumb presses harder against her clit, rubbing in a circular motion until Regina's teeth are clamped down against her bottom lip and she's moaning with ecstasy as she falls against her chest. "Just like that," she tells her as her slick fingers drag idly thought Regina's wetness

"That was good…" Regina breathes out as their eyes meet, and Mal offers her a sultry little smile as she continues to stroke her. "Oh, you feel so good…"

"Mm, so do you…"

Regina continues to breathe in and out, her head practically spinning as she comes down from her high. Smiling, she leans forward, kissing Mal softly and enjoying the gentle strokes of Mal's fingers. Her hands slide around Mal's sides and then push downward over her hips, kneading at warm skin. Mal lifts her hips as Regina's lips trail down and away from hers, sliding down her neck and down between her breasts. She slides off of Mal's lap, adjusting herself onto a blanket atop the sand and Mal leans forward to pull the thick fleece blanket up over Regina's shoulders. Offering her a sultry yet appreciative grin, Regina tugs the flannel pants down Mal's thighs and knees, before leaning in to return the favor.


	4. Chapter 4: Anniversaries & Memories Past

A smile pulls onto Regina's lips as she rolls over and groggily smiles at Maleficent lying beside her. Her blonde hair is pulled up into a loose and sloppy bun and the covers are kicked down around her ankles. Her body is contorted in way that can't possibly be comfortable and her head is turned in the opposite direction as her limbs. A favorite pair of thin cotton pajama bottoms are rolled at the waist and to her knees and her tank top is bunched at her waist—and all Regina can think of what a beautiful mess she is in the morning and how lucky she is to wake up beside her every day.

Rolling onto her side she props her head up with her hand, watching for a few minute as Mal sleeps. She chuckles softly as she reaches out a pulls a stand of blonde hair away from Mal's face—and when she Mal flops onto the other side. With a soft grin, Regina edges closer to her. She cuddles in and sliding her hand across the bare section of her stomach as her lips flutter against her jaw. She smiles against Mal's skin as Mal turns toward her, but doesn't wake—and Regina feels emboldened.

Her hand slips up beneath the hem of the tank top, sliding over warm skin as the tips of her fingers brush against the bottom of Mal's breast—and Regina's tongue slides against the her lip. A soft moan absently escapes her and she giggles and Mal's obvious but oblivious pleasure—and she can't help but think of fitting that is on a morning like this one…

 _Regina slides into the booth across from Mal and Mal looks up curiously over the edge of her menu. Her legs are crossed and her shoulders are back, her chin tilted up with an air of feigned indifference as she blinks in Regina's direction._

 _"_ _Mm, I can't choose between the lavender or the pomegranate," she murmurs, looking up at Regina with hooded eyes. "Decisions, decisions."_

 _"_ _Aren't you a bit curious why I asked you here?"_

 _"_ _I am," Mal tells her, blinking down at the menu. "But right now, I really just want some tea."_

 _"_ _Pomegranate seems more… you," Regina says decisively as she plucks the menu away from her. "And I… have a favor I need to ask of you."_

 _"_ _A favor," Mal repeats as a smile curls onto her lip. "I'm intrigued."_

 _"_ _I hoped you would be."_

 _"_ _And what does this favor entail?"_

 _Regina grimaces a little as she sighs. "Emma's birthday party is this weekend, and I… kind of… need a date."_

 _"_ _A date."_

 _"_ _Yes," Regina nods. "A date."_

 _"_ _I thought you were… taking a break from that sort of thing."_

 _"_ _Well, you can only nurse a broken heart for so long," Regina says—fully aware of the irony of the statement, "And… there are certain people who are dead set on setting me up with someone."_

 _"_ _Setting you up."_

 _"_ _With Whale."_

 _Maleficent's eyes widen. "That pompous little…"_

 _"_ _Yes, that would be him."_

 _"_ _And whose bright idea is this?"_

 _"_ _Snow's," Regina sighs. "Snow and Charming are determined and…" Her eyes roll. "You know how they are when they're determined to get something they want."_

 _"_ _Yes," Mal said with a slight nod. "But Regina, the Charmings are hardly… a fan of mine."_

 _"_ _Well, that's… kind of the point," Regina says as a small smile edges onto her lips. "They want me to be in a relationship so badly, so…"_

 _"_ _So you end up in one with someone they despise," Mal finishes, chuckling softly. "You want to get under Snow White's skin because she's gotten under yours."_

 _"_ _A… little," Regina admits as her bottom lip pouts out. "But mostly I don't want to spend an evening with Whale."_

 _"_ _So, you want me to pretend to be… interested in you."_

 _"_ _More than interested, actually," Regina murmurs as an expectant grin draws onto her lips, "Because I may or may not have said that I was… already attached."_

 _"_ _Attached."_

 _"_ _In a relationship."_

 _"_ _A relationship."_

 _"_ _Yes."_

 _"_ _So, you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend to make Snow White stop trying to set you up?"_

 _"_ _And to save me from murdering Storybrooke's only physician, but getting her to stop trying would be an added bonus."_

 _"_ _Hmmm," Mal purrs as her arms fold over her chest and her eyes narrow. "I… suppose that could be fun."_

 _"_ _So you'll do it."_

 _"_ _I'll do it."_

 _"_ _It's a date then."_

 _"_ _Yes," Mal says with a nod as a smile pulls onto her lips, "A fake one, at least…"_

Regina's tongue swirls around Mal's earlobe as she begins to stir, letting out a content sigh as her eyes flutter open and a smile pulls onto her lips. "Happy anniversary," she murmurs, blinking in Regina's direction. "Or should I say official anniversary."

Regina's eyes roll. "We only have one anniversary."

"Say who?"

"Me," Regina says, leaning into kiss her.

Mal smiles into the kiss and she reaches around, letting her fingers slide into Regina's hair as she kisses her back. Regina's hand slides her hand higher, cupping Mal's breast her lips drag down her throat and a soft moan escapes her—and then her stomach rumbles. Regina laughs as she lifts her head, arching an eyebrow as Mal's head falls back against the pillow.

"I'm sorry," she chuckles as Regina sits up. "I am starving."

"So, you don't want to…"

"I do, but I also really want something to eat."

A smile pulls onto Regina's lips. "Okay," she takes a breath in an attempt to regain composure. Running her hands through her hair, she blinks a few times. "We could go to Granny's or…"

"We could stay in," Mal suggests as a smile tugs onto her lips. "As much as I loathe those pesky kitchen appliances, if we make breakfast here, we could get back to… celebrating… much more quickly."

"Celebrating."

"Celebrating," Mal repeats, leaning in and pecking Regina's lips.

"Is this why you like the idea of multiple anniversaries?" Regina asks as they slide out of bed and reach for their robes. "More reason to celebrate?"

"Oh, Regina," Maleficent purrs as she knots her robe. "We don't need an anniversary to _celebrate_ …"

 _Mal's long fingers lace through Regina's as they step into Granny's—and Snow turns to face them with wide eyes and a gaping jaw. "Regina," she breathes out as she looks to Mal, then down at her entwined fingers. "This is… your date?"_

 _"_ _Yes," Regina says as a smile tugs onto her lips. "We decided to… give it another go."_

 _"_ _Old flames don't always extinguish so easily," Mal says, offering a little wink as she squeezes Regina's hand._

 _"_ _Oh…"_

 _"_ _Sorry to ruin your plans, but…"_

 _"_ _These things can't always be predicted."_

 _"_ _Of course not," Snow says as her smile tightens. "Well, regardless. I'm glad you could make it." She blinks and swallows. "Both of you."_

 _The bell on the door chimes again and Snow excuses herself and both Mal and Regina struggle against the urge to laugh. Regina bites down on her lips and Mal's cheeks flush, and they look at one another—and a little squeak escapes Maleficent. "I'm not sure she can hate a person more than she hates me."_

 _"_ _Oh, I think I hold that title."_

 _"_ _She adores you. She always has," Mal pauses as her brow furrows. "Well, with the exception of the brief period of time when you completely lost you mind and hunted her."_

 _"_ _Brief?"_

 _"_ _A few years is brief to me."_

 _"_ _You make it sound like I went through a phase where I thought clogs were acceptable shoes."_

 _Mal's brow furrows as she looks around Regina. "Are those clogs?" She motions to Snow's feet and Regina grimaces—and both laugh out._

 _"_ _Let me buy you a drink for… putting up with my extended family for an evening." A smirk forms on Mal's lips and she nods, following Regina over to the bar. Regina orders two glasses of wine and when Granny slides two glasses across the counter, she smiles as she looks between them. "To old friends or… whatever it is that we are."_

 _Mal laughs softly and clinks the edge of her glass to Regina's taking a quick sip as a smile tugs onto her lips. "It's no trouble. It's… nice to see you laugh." Regina's head tips to the side as she takes a sip of her wine—and her stomach flutters as she blinks curiously at Mal, but before she can question it, Mal continues. "Now, you really want to give Snow White a charge?" Her lips curl into a smile and Regina's breath catches in her throat as Mal's lips press to hers, and her tongue parts Regina's lips, sending a tingle down her spine…_

They make their way downstairs, still flushed and a little giggly, with robes tied around them. When they reach the bottom stair, Mal turns to her and pushes her back against the banister. Her longer fingers thread through Regina's hair—and it occurs to her how easy it would be to take Mal's hand and lead her back upstairs and make her forget all about breakfast. But instead, she leans up onto her toes and brushes her lips over Mal's, sucking gently at her bottom lip, and she can feel a smile pull onto Mal's lips.

"Mm, I'm thinking omelets," Regina says, pushing her back and taking her hand, tugging her back toward the kitchen.

"Ooh, with mushrooms."

"If you must."

"I like mushrooms."

"I know you do," Regina laughs. "And for the life of me, I don't understand why."

"They remind me of home," she says as she shrugs her shoulders. "The food here is so different, but mushrooms aren't."

Regina blinks, "That's exactly why I dislike them." She looks back over her shoulder, "If you only knew what I put mushrooms in…"

Mal laughs as she rolls her eyes and she hoists herself up onto the counter, watching as Regina opens the refrigerator, pulling out the eggs and the cheese, a bell pepper, and Mal's requested mushrooms. As Regina turns away from the refrigerator, Mal's leg reaches out, hooking her around her hips and drawing her in—and she laughs as her hands settle on Mal's knees. "On second thought, we could just pour some cereal and be back upstairs in…

"Oh…"

"Henry…" Regina says, spinning away from Mal. "I… thought you were with Emma this weekend."

"I was," he says, grinning as he looks between them. "But the baby was being fussy and I have to study and… I am totally interrupting something."

"No…"

"I am," Henry says as his face scrunches. "You two are… clearly… in the middle of…"

"Breakfast!"

"Is that what you're calling it now?"

Regina's eyes roll as she glances toward Mal. "We were just about to make omelets…"

"Omelets."

"Yeah," Mal says with a nod as she slides off counter. "We were planning a quiet day in."

"How rare," Henry teases.

"It's our anniversary, so we just wanted to enjoy each other."

"It's your anniversary?" Henry asks, his eyes widening. "How didn't I know that?"

"Well, apparently," Regina begins, looking over at Mal. "We have a couple of them…"

 _"_ _So, if we're going to really sell this… we should… probably be seen together," Regina says, trying to keep her voice even and her intentions murky. "You know, not just at big parties and family get-togethers. If we were actually in a relationship, we'd… do things on our own, too."_

 _"_ _You want to go out on a date," Mal says as her eyebrow arches, "A date that's not for Snow's benefit."_

 _"_ _Well, yeah…"_

 _Mal's eyes narrow. "What did you have in mind?"_

 _"_ _Dinner," she says as a smile tugs onto her lips. "At somewhere that isn't Granny's."_

 _"_ _Dinner…"_

 _"_ _Is she trying to set you up again?"_

 _"_ _No," Regina's quick to say, "She's… completely accepted that I'm happily involved."_

 _"_ _With me."_

 _"_ _Yes."_

 _"_ _So, explain again why you want to go on a date," Mal says, her arms crossing over her chest. "If Snow believes us, then…?"_

 _Regina bristles a bit as she sits back in the chair behind her desk, her own eyes narrowing in Mal's direction. "Because it's suspect that you and I are only together when someone in my family has a thing." She shrugs. "It's too obvious."_

 _"_ _We're not actually in a relationship," she says—and there's a small hitch in her voice that Regina can't help but think she's imagined._

 _"_ _Come on, a nice meal, some wine… a little affection."_

 _"_ _Affection?"_

 _"_ _A couple of kisses here and there…"_

 _"_ _That sounds… enjoyable enough."_

 _"_ _Good."_

 _"_ _So, it's date."_

 _"_ _Yes," Regina nods as she stands. "I'll make the reservation. For Saturday."_

 _"_ _For Saturday," Mal nods, following her lead as she rises from her chair. Regina rounds her desk, and taking a deep breath she leans in and kisses her—and she feels Regina gasp a little as she does. "For practice," she murmurs as she pulls back, her blue eyes sparkling. "The more we do it, the more natural it'll appear."_

 _"_ _Right."_

 _"_ _Right," Mal says with a wink. "I'll see you Saturday, then…"_

"Oh, well then, happy anniversary, you guys," Henry says as he grabs his back pack, coming forward and dropping a quick kiss on Regina's cheek, then leaning over to give Mal a loose hug. "I think I'll head over to the library." He grins as he looks between them. "Enjoy your day… and I'll pretend I don't know what that means."

Regina's lips purse as she starts ask him to stay, but her voice doesn't reach him in time. The back door slams and Regina turns back to Mal, grinning as she reaches for a bowl. She cracks the eggs and then reaches for the heavy whipping cream as she begins to prepare breakfast, wondering if the cereal idea hadn't been such a bad one. She presses a kiss to Mal's jaw before turning away from her and reaching for the whisk.

"Can I help?" Mal asks as she leans against the counter. "I feel useless just standing here and watching."

A grin pulls onto Regina's lips. "You could make the coffee…"

"Oh," Mal murmurs a she scowls in the direction of the coffee maker. "I suppose I could."

Regina adds the salt and pepper, then begins to whisk, snickering as Mal takes a deep breath as she carefully scoops the coffee into the filter. It occurs to her, as she grabs a knife to slice the red pepper and the mushrooms, that all of this could have done much more efficiently with magic and they wouldn't even have had to leave the warmth of their bed. But as Mal flinches and jumps back after pressing the on switch a smile pulls onto her lips and she can't help that she finds he ineptitude completely adorable, and she loves these little moments.

Mal's eyes narrow as she watches the coffee maker begin to work its magic and she glances quickly in Regina's direction, not wanting to take her eyes off of it—and likely not trusting it—but wanting to be done with it.

Dropping the peppers and mushrooms, she reaches for the cheese and turns to the stove, pouring the egg into the warm skillet. "Come here," she murmurs, holding her hand out to Mal as she keeps an eye on the eggs, poking and prodding them with her spatula. "After breakfast, what do you want to do?"

Mal's arms circle around her waist and her chin rests on her shoulder. "You have to ask?"

Regina laughs a little, shaking her head. "I feel like we should… do something."

"That _is_ something." She can almost feel the smug little grin forming on Mal's lips. "A very fun something."

"Maybe we should… do dinner tonight."

"Dinner could be wonderful."

Leaning back into Mal, a smile pulls onto Regina's lips. "What about that little bistro by the docks."

"The one with the cozy booths?"

"Yeah…" Regina nods as she flips the omelets. "Maybe around seven?"

"So, that gives us… ten hours to…"

Regina's eyes roll. "Yes."

"That seems appropriate," Mal says, pressing a kiss to Regina's jaw. "It was where we went on our first official date."

"That wasn't our first _official_ date."

"Sure it was…"

"No," Regina says, shaking her head. "We were still pretending."

"You weren't pretending," Mal counters, offering a regretful little sigh as she lets go of Regina and reaches for the plates. "Neither was I."

"No?"

"No…"

 _There's a little bistro that overlooks the docks. It's a little place with checkered table clothes and little round booths that force you to sit side-by-side with your dinner companion. They're known for their seafood and wine, and the candles atop the tables are the only lighting._

 _Regina's fingers curl down around Maleficent's as the hostess leads them toward their reserved booth, and from the corner of her eye, she sees a grin creep onto Mal's lips. When they're seated and have their menus, Regina takes a moment to let her eyes linger—Mal's hair is drawn up into a low bun that shows off her long neck and her full lips are painted a deep crimson, and look oh, so inviting. Swallowing hard, Regina takes a breath, noting the low V-cut of Mal's camisole and the tight sweater that cinches at her waist, just above a pencil skirt that hugs her in all the right places. Her skin looks creamy and soft, and in the candlelight, she's absolutely breathtaking._

 _"_ _What?" She murmurs as she looks up from the wine list._

 _"_ _Just… you look beautiful tonight."_

 _"_ _Oh…" Mal's cheeks flush slightly and she looks taken aback by the soft compliment. "Thank you."_

 _A smile edges onto Regina's lips as she scan the menu. "I've heard good things about the lobster…"_

 _"_ _Oh?"_

 _"_ _Soft and buttery," Regina says, as her eyes cast up and a shallow breath escapes her, and she rubs her fingers over the back of Mal's hand, watching as Mal's eyes fall to their hands. "I'm willing to bet the White Burgundy would be incredible with it."_

 _"_ _You're probably right." Mal nods, looking back up at her with hooded eyes. "Regina, what are you doing?"_

 _"_ _Holding your hand."_

 _"_ _I realize that," Mal murmurs, looking down at their hands. "The question is why…"_

 _"_ _I want to."_

 _"_ _You realize that no one can see us," Mal asks, arching an eyebrow in Regina's direction. "So, this little display is…"_

 _"_ _Entirely necessary."_

 _"_ _Is it?"_

 _Regina nods and slides a little closer so that their legs touch. "Very much so." With a sigh, Mal looks back to the menu—and her breath catches when Regina's lips brush quickly against her cheek. "Thank you."_

 _"_ _For what?" She asks, as her eyes fall to Regina's lips. "I don't…"_

 _"_ _For doing this, for… being here with me and… indulging me."_

 _"_ _Oh Regina," Maleficent purrs. "Indulging you is what I've always done best."_

 _Regina blinks up at her, her dark eyes wide and her cheeks flushing slightly…_

When breakfast is finished, Regina flicks her wrist and the kitchen is cleaned and Mal laughs as she pulls her up from, tugging her toward her and instinctively, Regina's arms hug around Mal's waist. She looks up at her as a smile edges on to her lips.

"Now what?"

"You have to ask?" Mal laughs as she takes a step back, pulling Regina back with her. "I can't wait to get back in to bed, and cuddle up against you and…"

"But what about the presents?"

Maleficent's eyebrow arches. "I'd nearly forgotten."

"Or is cuddling in bed with you my present?"

"Oh no," Mal says, shaking her head as she takes another step back and her arms slide down to Regina's hands. "That's a given," she says as a smile creeps onto her lips. "Your gift is upstairs."

"Is it?" Regina laughs. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

Mal leads Regina up the stairs, disappearing into the closet for a moment, then returning with a box wrapped in metallic gold paper—and the wrapping alone has a smile pulling onto Regina's lips as she bends to the night stand and pulls out a long, slim box.

"I want you to open yours first," Regina says, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I saw it and… well… you'll see."

Mal is practically giddy as she sets Regina's gift down and joins her on the bed, accepting the box and running her long fingers over the slender box as she tugs at the ribbon—and when she lifts off the top of the box a little squeal escapes her as her eyes widen. "Ooh, it's so shiny!"

"Look closely."

"I am!" Maleficent coos as she lifts the long gold chain from the box, letting it dangle in front of her as her eyes flash with excitement. "Look at how it catches the light."

"Look at the pendant," Regina tells her, chuckling softly as Mal's head tips to the side and her fingers touch the deep red stone as she examines it with a cat-like interest. "Obviously, it… reminded me of you."

"A dragon!" Mal exclaims as she drops the pendant into her palm. "The dragon is holding the gem!"

"Yes…"

"Ooh, how pretty!"

Regina laughs, "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it!" Mal says, again holding it up and letting it catch in the sunlight—and then, she lunges forward, kissing her thanks as she clutches the necklace. "And I love you," she murmurs as she pulls back. "Open yours next."

"Alright," Regina murmurs as she slides her fingers underneath the flap of gold paper. She glances up, grinning as Mal splits her attention between Regina's gift and her own, and when she pulls away the paper, she blinks down at a leather bound book. There's a leather cord wrapped around it, and it looks like a relic from another life. "What is this?"

"You'll see…"

Regina looks up, her head tipping to the side as she undoes the cording—and then her eyes widen. "It's… a spell book?"

"Not just any spell book," Maleficent says, clearly proud of her find. "One of Merlin's books."

"Merlin… as in…"

"The great wizard."

"Oh my god, how did you find this?" Regina asks as she turns to one of the parchment pages. "I know this wasn't in Gold's shop."

"No," Mal says as a smile tugs onto her lips. "I've been holding onto it for a long time. A dragon from Camelot owed me a favor and when I saw it I… I thought of you."

"When were you in Camelot?" Regina asks, not looking up as her fingers touch to a page of notes. "It's not exactly… around the corner."

"Well, not anymore." Regina looks up. "I found that book long before you cast your curse."

"Ahh…"

"I've been waiting to give it to you…"

"For a lifetime."

"Yes," Maleficent says with a little nod. "You like it?"

"Yes," Regina breathes out as she drops the book into her lap and slides her hand over Maleficent's cheeks, and pulling her into a kiss…

 _"_ _Regina," Mal breathes out, blinking as she pulls back. "What… is going on?"_

 _"_ _It's not obvious?" Regina says, pressing her wet lips together. "I must be awfully rusty…"_

 _"_ _No, no, no," Mal laughs. "The kiss was…" She shakes her head, "A tad unexpected." Her eye brow arches and she swallows hard. "After all, there's no one here to catch us, no one here to convince…"_

 _"_ _Except ourselves."_

 _"_ _And what are we convincing ourselves of?"_

 _A smile pulls onto Regina's lips as she takes a breath. "That we… aren't pretending anymore."_

 _"_ _Aren't we?"_

 _"_ _Mal…"_

 _"_ _No, I'm serious," she laughs. "When did it… stop for you?"_

 _"_ _When did I stop pretending to have feelings for you?" Mal nods as Regina considers, laughing softly as she thinks back over the past months, and she can't quite pin point when her feelings started change or when she actually realized them or if they'd ever gone away at all. Her cheeks flush and she laughs a little, shaking her head. "I… don't think I was being honest with myself when I asked you to…" Her voice trails off and she shrugs her shoulders. "I think my feelings for you were… always there. I wasn't pretending to be in love with you, I was… pretending not to be."_

 _A smile curls onto Mal's lips as she reaches for Regina's hand, tugging her up from the couch in her office. "Come on, we're going to be late."_

 _"_ _I don't want to go," Regina sighs, letting Mal pull her up. "Neal's not even going to remember this birthday. He's two."_

 _"_ _It'll be fun," Mal murmurs from over her shoulder, offering Regina a wink as she tugs her toward the door. "We can really give them something to talk about this time."_

 _Regina laughs, following behind Maleficent as they walk toward the diner. Their fingers are entwined, their arms touch and they're all smile as they enter Granny with a birthday present in hand—and of course, much to their dismay, no one notices a difference._

Regina's lips drag down across Mal's clavicle as she pulls herself up, smiling down as Mal offers a contented sigh. Her long fingers knead at her hips as she breathes slowly, looking up at Regina as grin forms on her lips.

"That was…"

"I know."

"Even better than usual… and our usual is pretty good."

"I thought so," Regina says as she takes a long breath and pushed her hands though her hair. "Really, that was some of my best work."

Maleficent laughs out, sitting up suddenly and as her hands slide up Regina's slides and up her back. Her fingers slide up and down her spine as her lips find Regina's, and she runs her tongue against the seam of her lips. Regina's lips part, inviting her in. Mal's lips suck at hers and she sighs into the kiss, pushing her fingers into her hair as she starts to push her back.

Regina's head falls back against the blankets as Mal shifts herself over her, straddling her hips as her lips slide to her jaw, settling momentarily at the crook of her neck. Her kisses are soft and warm, her lips fluttering gently and leaving a tingling sensation in their trail as they move upward. Regain sighs contently as her head tips back as Mal sucks on her earlobe.

"Oh, that feels amazing…"

"Mmm," Mal murmurs as Regina's hand comes up, cupping the back of her head as her fingers tangle in her hair. "Did you make that reservation?"

"What reservation?"

"At the bistro…"

"Mmm, no," Regina murmurs breathlessly as Mal's lips slide down her jaw and across her clavicle. "Not yet."

"Don't."

"No?" She asks, opening her eyes and picking up her head, chuckling softly as Mal's lips slide up the other side of her jaw. "I thought…"

"I don't want to leave this room."

"Oh," Regina murmurs as a smile pulls onto her lips. "You want to stay here?"

"Yes," Mal breathes out.

"In bed?"

"All day."

"Oh, that does sound nice."

"Doesn't it?" Mal asks as she pushes Regina's arms up over her head. "A whole day in bed with you, enjoying you," she says as a grin stretches over her lips. "It sounds like an absolutely delightful way to spend a Saturday."

And before Regina can reply, Mal's lips come crashing down on hers.


	5. Chapter 5: Marshmallow Root Tea

It was rare that Regina worked on Saturdays; but months before, a meeting had been cancelled at the last minute, and she'd randomly selected a day—a day that happened to be a Saturday morning in early spring. At the time, it'd been ideal—a likely beautiful day would lead to low attendance and would likely mean that she'd be home well before lunch.

But that was before the water main break three days before and that was before the freakishly low temperatures that had turned Main Street into an ice-skating rink—and it was long before Henry had come down with a nagging cold.

Regina sighs as she looks over at him—his eyes were sunken in, his nose was red, and his breathing was ragged; for two days he'd been carrying with him a box of tissues, and she couldn't remember the last time he was this sick. "I don't have to go," she murmurs as she pours a glass of orange juice for him. "I could stay home with you. I don't have to go."

"I'm fourteen, Mom," he tells her with a sigh—barely able to muster the energy to roll his eyes. "You don't have to stay at home because I'm sick." She pushes the glass toward him and nods toward it; but his face scrunches and he shakes his head. "It hurts to drink."

"It's good for you," she says, her voice insistent as she pushes the orange juice closer. "Drink up."

"It burns."

Regina sighs and her eyebrow arches in his direction as Mal comes into the kitchen—and immediately, she frowns at the sight of Regina's suit, a reminder that she'll be working for most of the day. "What burns?" She asks, looking between them as her eyes fall to the glass at Henry's finger tips.

"The orange juice," Henry says as he pushes it away. "Mom wants me to drink it."

"Vitamin C is…"

"She makes me drink things when I'm sick, too," Mal says, as she leans against the counter. "At least she's not making you drink cod liver oil."

Henry's eyes widen and he sniffles, batting his hand over his nose. "Ew, really?"

"Really," Mal says with a nod—either confirming that Regina really did force her to drink a spoon full of fish oil the last time she was ill or confirming its grossness, or both, most likely.

Regina's eyes roll as she looks between them, "Says the woman who once hunted and ate raw fish in a former life."

A smirk forms over her lips as Mal's eyes widen and a small laugh that turns to a cough escapes her son. "I was a dragon," Mal replies, her voice defensive as her shoulders square, "So that was different."

Shaking her head, Regina leans in and kisses Mal's cheek—and then, she presses a quick kiss to Henry's warm forehead. "I hate leaving you," she sighs as she pulls back. "You feel feverish. You should go back to bed," she tells him as a soft grin stretches over her lips, "After you drink the orange juice." Henry sighs and his shoulders slump forward as he reaches for the glass, and then she turns back to Mal. "Make sure he…"

"I know," Mal cuts in as a soft grin forms over his lips. "Lots of fluids, lots of rest."

"And lots of orange juice."

"And lots of orange juice," Mal repeats with a nod as she reaches out and squeezes Regina's hand. "I think I can hold down the fort for a couple of hours."

"My meeting might go late though and…"

"And I can handle it."

With a sigh Regina nods, leaning in and kissing her quickly before she says her goodbyes and hurries out the door. As soon as the front door closes, Mal pulls the glass of orange juice away from Henry and a smile stretches onto her lips. "If it burns, you don't have to drink it."

"Do you think it'll help though?"

"Maybe," Mal concedes with a nod. "You're mother is rarely wrong, but that's definitely not the only thing that'll help." Henry's eyebrows arch and Mal's smile brightens as she nods toward the living room. "There are some blankets on the couch that I just took out of the dryer, why don't you go curl up and… pick out a movie, or something."

"Okay," Henry says with an easy nod as he slides off the stool at the counter, taking his box of tissues with him.

Mal reaches for a sauce pan and fills it with water, then turns on the stove—something she's finally mastered—and then she turns to the cabinet, reaching for a little basket on the top shelf. She sifts through little bags and jars until she finds a marshmallow root and a licorice root, and when the water begins to bubble, she drops them in and watches them boil. Finally, when the tea is ready, she pours it into a mug, stirring in a little dash of cayenne pepper.

Carefully, she carries the tea into the living room, where she finds Henry cocooned in blankets. His brow furrows as he looks to his box of tissues, sitting just out of his reach—and in that brief moment, he reminds her so much of Regina. "Here," she murmurs, sliding the tissues toward him before extending the mug of hot tea. "This won't burn."

Sniffing, Henry plucks one of the tissues from the box as he looks skeptically at the tea. "What… is it?"

"Tea."

"What kind of tea?"

"Herbal."

"That's… not very informative."

Mal grins. "Licorice and marshmallow root."

Henry blinks and sniffles again. "Those don't sound like real things."

"They are," Mal says with a short laugh. "It's a centuries old remedy for a cold." She shrugs. "I may not know how to make coffee or fry an egg or run the dishwasher, but I can boil root teas with the best of 'em."

Grimacing as he swallows, Henry looks down into the mug. "What does it… taste like?"

"A bit like the candy, but… a little more on the bitter side," she tells him. "That's why I combined it with the marshmallow root. That'll sweeten it up."

"I… like marshmallows," Henry says, chewing at his lip for a moment before tentatively, brining the mug up and taking a soft sip—and then a triumphant grin stretches over Mal's lips as his eyebrows draw up and he takes a longer sip. "That's… not bad, actually."

"No burning?"

"No burning," he says with a nod and a little laugh. "It's… different, but it's good."

Henry takes another sip and burrows back into the blankets—and for a brief moment, she's not sure what to do and it strikes her that this is the first the first time that she and Henry have ever really been alone. "Do you… need anything else?" She asks in a tentative voice, not really sure of how much help she'd be.

"Can we watch a movie?"

"Oh, yeah," she nods, her voice sliding from tentative to unsure. "Um, of course."

"Don't worry," Henry says with a little laugh. "Winter Soldier's already in the DVD player."

Mal only blinks. "Am I supposed to know what that is?" Henry laughs a little, clearing his throat a little as a cough rattles in his chest. "More tea," she tells him.

He nods and takes a long sip, then reaches for the remote. "Winter Solider is a Captain America movie… and… uh, it plays in the DVD player."

Again, all Mal can do is blink. "Oh…"

Shaking his head, Henry sighs. "I have so much to teach you."

Mal feels a fluttering in her chest as a smile twists onto her lips. "Does… that mean you want me to watch it with you?"

"Yeah," Henry says with a little nod, seemingly taken aback by her question—as if her watching the movie with him had always been implied. "I mean, you did give me this awesome tea."

"You really like it?"

Henry nods and takes another sip, then offers her one of the still-folded blankets as he edges over to make more room on the couch. He presses play on the menu and just before the movie begins, he looks over at her. "You know, you're pretty good at the mom thing," he says, taking another long sip of tea as they both settle back to watch the movie.


	6. Chapter 6: Bickering & Making Up

A smile curls onto Regina's lips as she lifts her head from the pillow, and watches as Mal tucks a lavender blouse into a black pencil skirt. She doesn't say anything; she just watches-watching the way Mal's long fingers select an earring, watching the way she tips her head ever-so-slightly as she reaches for her earlobe to put on the earring, and watching the way she turns her head to examine how they look.

And she looks gorgeous.

Her hair is swept up and off of her neck, knotted in a low bun; and the skirt she wears hugs her hips and stops just below her knee. Her makeup-as always-is subtle with the exception of dramatically red lips, and even from the bed, Regina can smell the soft scent of her perfume.

"You're awfully dressed up for a Saturday morning," Regina says as she gets out of bed-scrunching her hair as she joins Mal in front of the mirror. "Do you have plans that I don't know about?"

"Hmmm… I don't know if I told you…"

Regina presses a feathery kiss to her shoulder as her arms slide around her waist. "Tell me what?" She asks, already having forgotten what she'd asked, and enjoying the warmth of being pressed against Mal.

"Just that I'm going to head over to the pawn shop for a little while," Mal says as she leans back into her. "Belle is doing some cataloguing early this…" Her voice trails off as Regina tenses. "Do you want to come along?"

Regina just blinks. "No, I don't," she says, her voice suddenly curt as she begins to bristle. "It's Saturday and Henry's with Emma, and… I sort of assumed that we'd get to enjoy some time alone together."

"Oh," Mal murmurs in reply, looking at her thought the mirror. "Well, you know, we could have some alone time later on."

Regina blinks again. "You're… seriously going to turn down sex for… hanging out at the pawn shop." She pauses and her shoulder square and she pulls back. "Which, I have to say, it seems you've been doing a lot of lately."

Mal turns to face her, her brow furrowing as she tilts her head. "You're… jealous?"

"Should I be?"

"Oh, come on, Regina," Mal says, reaching for her hand. "You know…"

She pulls away, her head shaking as her chest tightens as her voice rises. "Do I?"

"Regina…"

There's a pang of something unpleasant at her core-this has been going on for weeks. Admittedly, she hasn't be around very much lately-she's been working late in preparation for a fundraiser and Snow had so kindly volunteered her to help out with the school play. There were too many nights that she'd come home to leftovers covered in foil or arranged in tupperware and too many mornings she'd have to leave early. Lunch dates were cancelled, and reluctantly, Mal found other ways to entertain herself during the day.

Saturdays though-Saturdays had always been her salvation. The promise of spending a whole day with Mal-cuddling under the covers and trading kisses and dozing well into the afternoon, had made the long work week bearable-and now, it seemed even that would be sacrificed.

"Are you doing this because I haven't been around lately?"

"What? No. I just…"

"Or maybe you have a thing for a certain shopkeeper?" It takes everything in her not to grimace-and she knows that it's a preposterous claim-but now that she's said it, now that she's implied the accusation, she has to own it-and there's a little bit of her that wonders if shiny objects aren't the only thing bringing her into the pawn shop day after day.

"Regina," Mal says, almost gasping at the thought of it. "You can't be serious."

"Do you really want that to be your answer?" She returns, crossing her arms over her chest as her jealousy begins to bubble up beneath the surface. "You really want to be coy?"

Mal's eyes widen. "You know perfectly well that I wasn't attracted to scaly men even as a dragon, and I am certainly not attracted to them now." She scoffs indignantly. "I can't believe you'd even think that I had a thing for Rumplestiltskin."

"And what about the other shopkeeper?"

"Belle?"

Regina nods-and she feels herself holding her breath. "Isn't she the reason you're up so early and dressed…"

"Wait just a second," Mal cuts in-and something in her changes. "You honestly believe that I'd cheat on you?" Regina just blinks, choosing not to respond because deep down, she knows that it's untrue. "Of all people, you should know know that Belle isn't my type." Regina watches as Mal softens a bit and takes a little step toward her. "I mean, sure, she's adorable but she's adorable in a cavity-inducing sort of way." Taking a breath, Mal reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, letting her hand slowly linger at her cheek. "You know I like a little fire."

She struggles not to smile. "Then why have you been spending so much time with her?"

A glint of excitement flashes in Mal's eyes and her little grin brightens. "I just love the shop-all of the things there. There are drawers and drawers of old coins. Some are silver and some are gold and others are brassy! And there's this little ivory lamp that glows so beautifully when it's lit up-and then, there's a knight's armor. It's all put together and made of tin, and when it catches the light-oh, Regina-it's so beautiful." Mal takes a long breath. "And the smell of those old leather books! I just…"

A little laugh escapes her and a smile tugs up at the corner of her mouth, betraying her. "So, you… spend all day just… milling around the pawn shop..looking at things?"

"Yes," Mal nods, her voice full of exuberance. "It's just so…"

Regina doesn't even try to hold back-she laughs out as her hand slides over Mal's hip, kneading gently. Leaning up onto her toes, her lips brush over Mal's and she smiles at the feeling of her warm breath on her lips. Mal responds, her hand slipping to the back of her neck as she draws her closer-and then, she pulls back.

"I thought we were fighting."

A grin twists onto Regina's lips. "We're we?"

"I think we were."

"Oh…"

"You were jealous."

Regina feels her cheeks warm. "A little…"

"Does this mean the fight's over?" Mal asks, a little laugh behind her words. "And did you just admit that you were wr-"

"Yes," Regina cuts in. "You don't have to say it out loud."

Mal rolls her eyes, but she presses closer and her lips slide against Regina's jaw. "You know," she purrs as Regina's head falls back, giving her more access. "Now that we're over the fighting we can move on to… other things."

"Other things…"

"My favorite thing…"

"And what's that?" Regina asks as her hand slide down Mal's back.

"The part where we make up."

Regina laughs as she spins away from her, taking her hand and tugging her down onto the bed. Mal rolls onto her side and Regina stays on her back-a for a split second that glint of exuberance shines again in Mal's eyes-and then, Regina reaches for her and pulls her down into a kiss.


	7. Chapter 7: Unwelcome News

It's a warm spring day–and the first day of the year where a jacket isn't required.

After spending too long debating, Regina and Mal finally decide to go up to the beach house. Henry is with Emma for the weekend, so it'll be just the two of them and they pack as if they're going for more than a couple of days to a destination that's more than twenty minutes from home. But Regina's car is packed up by ten, and they're both all smiles and laughs as they go around the making sure lights are turned off and appliances are unplugged–and just before getting into the car, Regina decides to check the mail.

Mal fiddles with her seat belt as she watches Regina flip through a stack of advertisements and envelopes–and then, suddenly, her demeanor changes completely. Mal watches as Regina's brow creases and her breath catches as she watches everything but one opened envelope fall from Regina's hand–and before she can unbuckle herself, Regina turns away and heads back into the house.

"Regina," Mal calls as she steps inside the house. "What… just happened?" Regina doesn't say anything, instead she just stares down at the paper–and she looks heartbroken. "Regina?"

"I… I have a challenger," she says, still staring down at the paper at her fingers. "I don't believe this."

"A challenger?"

Regina nods, and this time, she looks up. Mal feels her chest tighten as her eyes meeting Regina's–she already looks so defeated. "Someone is… is running against me in the next election."

"Who would…"

"George."

Mal's immediate reaction is to scoff and for a moment, she just can't take the news seriously. "You mean, George the… the imbecile who could barely manage his kingdom, the man who had to take out loan after loan from…"

"Yes," Regina supplies in a distant voice. "Yes, that George."

"Regina, that's ridiculous. No one's going to take him…"

Regina's eyes fall back to the paper as her voice cuts in. "He could win." She blinks, "He's Leopold's cousin and he's running because… he claims I was never a legitimate ruler and because of that I… I don't have a right to be the Mayor of Storybrooke."

"That doesn't make sense," Mal says as Regina's voice trails off. "That was all… a lifetime ago. No one is…"

"There was a petition," Regina interjects, the hurt evident in her voice. "A petition that went around Storybrooke…" Again, Mal's chest tightens as Regina looks up at her with teary eyes. "I've never won an election. I've never even had a campaign. A curse is what made me mayor…" Her voice trails off and she shakes her head. "George could win."

Mal starts to reply, but before she can find the right words in time. She wants to tell her that the idea of anyone else being the Mayor of Storybrooke is ludicrous, that the curse may have put her into the position, but it was her hard work that shaped the town, that the curse hadn't done that, she had. But before she can, the paper drops from Regina's fingertips, and Mal can't help but watch it waft to the floor as Regina does up stairs, and the bedroom door slams behind her.

For the rest of the day, she tries to console her–she brings her tea and she tries to make her laugh, she tries to snuggle with her beneath the blankets and she tries reset their weekend getaway to the beachouse. But each attempt fails and by the time lunchtime rolls around, Regina tells her that she just wants to be alone for awhile. With a sigh, she nods and presses a quick kiss to her cheek, and promises to check in shortly–and she can't help but feel helpless, hating that there doesn't seem to be anything she can do to lift her spirits. For as long as she's known Regina, she's never been one to quite, never one to give up when something posted a challenge or a threat–in fact, she only ever seemed to fight harder when the odds were against her. If anything, that had been her achilles heel.

And then, it occurs to her–a smile pulls onto Mal's lips as she remembers the afternoon Regina had stumbled into her lair. Her brown eyes were wide and filled with hope, full of expectation and resolve–and she managed to reignite the fire that Mal believed had died out long ago, how all it had taken was a little bit of stubbornness and a show of support. Looking back toward the stairs, Mal takes a breath and a smile tugs onto her lips–and she can't help but think that this situation isn't very different aside from that the tables have turned–and finally, she has a change to repay the favor that saved her.

When Mal finds Snow White, she's at Granny's with David and Neal–and she hesitates for only a moment before sliding into the booth beside David and across from Snow. Their eyebrows arch as they look at her, and she reminds herself that she doesn't have to like them and they don't have to like her, that they're important to Regina, and she needs their help. This is for Regina. Taking a breath, she tells them what happened–she tells them about George and the petition, she tells them about the letter Regina received that morning and how devastated she is at the possibility of losing the election. She doesn't have to tell them how much Storybrooke means to Regina, but she does–and she feels herself choking up as she tells them how this is Regina's chance to prove herself–not to the town, but to herself. And when she's said all that she came to say, she feels a wave of relief wash over her as Snow asks what they can do to help.

Three hours later, Mal pushes into their bedroom and finds Regina just where she left her. Her heart breaks at the tear tracks that stain her cheeks, but it also flutters with excited anticipation.

"Hey," she murmurs as she sits down on the edge of the bed, smiling warmly as she tucks Regina's hair behind her ear. "How are you doing?"

"I… think I'm done crying about it."

"Well, that's something," Mal says as her fingers brush down over Regina's cheek. "Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Regina, you had that… blended thing you insist on drinking every morning, and nothing else."

"It's a smoothie and it's healthy."

"Whatever it is, it's not enough for an entire day."

Regina's eyes roll. "I'm just not very hungry."

Taking a breath, Mal's shoulders straighten. "Let's get out of here, maybe get some fresh air? We could walk to Granny's."

"Maybe tomorrow…"

"Today," Mal insists as her fingers continue to stroke against Regina's cheek. "I know better than most that wallowing will get you nowhere."

"Can't I be upset about this for… for just today?"

Mal sighs, "Of course you can, but… you just… you seem like you're giving up, and that's not like you." For a moment, Regina doesn't say anything–and for a moment, her expression is blank. "Come on. Let's go and grab something to eat and…" A smile edges onto her face as Regina's lips tighten with annoyance–and suddenly, she looks so much more like herself, so much like the fighter that she is. "Come on…"

"Mal, I don't want…"

"Don't make me use magic on you."

Pulling herself up into her elbows, Regina blinks. "Fine," she sighs as she rolls off the bed. "But I… I need to change. I wouldn't be caught dead in leggings…" Mal laughs as Regina gets up–and she watches as she slips into a skirt and scrunches her hair. And then a few minutes later, fingers are laced through hers and they were walking toward Main Street.

Mal turns to look at Regina as they near the dinner–and she watches the way her lips purse and her head tips to the side. Her brow creases and she slowly turns to look at her, and when she does, she can't help but smile at her obvious confusion. "It's… awfully crowded."

"Yes," Mal nods. "It is."

"I'm not really… feeling up to a crowd."

"I think you'll be up for this crowd," Mal says, tugging her closer to the dinner–and when they reach the door, she hears Regina's breath catch. "Well?"

Regina swallows as she stares at the campaign sign that hangs on the diner's door–a campaign sign that bears her name. Mal watches as Regina's eyes shift into the diner. There's a banner hanging above the counter, again bearing her name and inside is Henry and Emma, Killian and the Charmings, Belle and Ruby, Granny and Archie about about forty other familiar faces, all wearing "Re-elect Regina Mills" buttons.

"What's going on?" Regina asks as she slowly as she turns to Mal. "What's… all of this?"

"It's your campaign launch party," Mal says simply as her lip catches between her teeth. "You have endorsements from most of the businesses in town and… most of the leaders of the community and… all of those people can't wait to re-elect you." She watches as Regina lets out a shaky breath as she struggles to figure out what to say–and again, she feels a smile pulling onto her lips. She laughs softly, about to make a comment about all the love and support the town has for her, but before she can Regina leans up onto the tips of her toes, her hands sliding up her cheeks as she draws her into a deep and passionate kiss.


	8. Chapter 8: Picnics & Potato Salad

A grin pulls onto Regina's lips as she watches Mal pull a recipe card from the box, her brow immediately creasing with confusion as she absently chews on the tip of a pen.

There are recipe cards strewn across the counter and recipe books that haven't been touched in decades open all over the kitchen. The refrigerator door is wide open and so are the cupboards–and a little giggle starts to bubble up from her core as Mal flings the card aside into the pile of other discarded recipes, and the pen goes flying across with it.

"Can I… ask what you're looking for?" Regina asks, pushing herself into the kitchen as she unbuttons her jacket and rolls her shoulders. "Because it looks like you're… not finding whatever it is you're looking for."

"I'm looking for something edible," Mal snaps as she looks up–and then immediately, her blue eyes widen with regret. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Regina murmurs as she leans up onto her toes to press a kiss to Mal's cheek and her hand slips over her hip. "Though, I would still like to know why you're tearing through my recipe boxes and books like your life depends on it."

Mal sighs and rolls her eyes. "It's… ridiculous. I'm being ridiculous" Regina's brow arches and Mal sighs again, but this time, she turns and leans back against the edge of the counter. "Well, there's… that picnic tomorrow."

"Yes," Regina murmurs softly. "Storybrooke's annual kick-off to summer." She shrugs dismissively. "My office has been planning it for years."

"Well, I… haven't been around for years," Mal says as her eyes meet Regina's. "At least, not around here… and… I know this is important to you and to Henry and to… the rest of your family." She sighs and reaches around herself, plucking a recipe card from the counter. "And for the life of me, I can't figure out why you'd put uncooked noodles in a salad."

Regina blinks. "I… what?"

"Henry told me that everyone always brings something to share and…"

"Ahhh…"

"And I can barely make coffee, let alone…" Mal takes a long breath, obviously agitated as she flings the recipe card back to the counter, "…whatever the hell that is." Her eyes widen as she looks back to Regina. "Sure, I can make an incredible root tea that'll clear your sinuses or roast a chicken over an open fire… fire that I usually provide… but… this is… different and I don't want to…"

"Mal," Regina cuts in, "You don't have to make anything. I've got it covered."

She nods and her slowly, her eyes press closed. "I realize that," she says quietly. "I just… I wanted to…"

"Oh…"

Mal's eyes slowly open, rolling as they meet Regina's. "Just this once I wanted to… participate." She shrugs and her breath hitches at the back of her throat. "I've never… had this, you know? I've never felt like I was a part of something. I've always been… on my own." Letting out a shaky breath, her lip catches between her teeth and she hesitates as tears well in her eyes. "I… don't want to mess this up or… be the weird dragon lady or… embarrass anyone."

"First, of all," Regina interjects, her voice rising over Mal's. "I happen to love the weird dragon lady." She watches as a lopsided grin tugs onto her Mal's lips as she looks back to her. "And… I get it." Leaning up onto her toes, she presses a kiss to her cheek as she reaches for her hand. "Let me help."

Mal nods as Regina steps toward the counter, sighing as she looks at the recipe cards that cover it. "So, the crunchy noodle salad is out for obvious reasons," Regina murmurs as her fingers push through the cards. "How about…" She drags out the last syllable as Mal's arm slides around her waist and her head comes to rest atop hers, and then finally, she finds a worn out card. "This one."

"Potato salad," Mal reads with a sigh. "I looked at that…"

"You can't go wrong with potato salad at a picnic," Regina says sincerely. "And this one's got a nice little kick to it." She grins. "Something very fitting for the weird dragon lady to bring."

A grin twists onto Mal's lips. "You'll help?"

"Of course," Regina murmurs as she twists out of her hold and moves toward the already-open refrigerator to collect a few of the necessary ingredients. "Good thing I bought those jalapenos yesterday."

"That's… actually why I didn't pick this one," Mal says as she looks down at the card. "Are you sure about… jalapenos in potato salad? That seems… not quite right."

"I told you, it's got a kick," Regina tells her as a coy grin pulls across her lips. "I made this for my first-ever Storybrooke summer picnic and it was quite a hit… with everyone except Snow… who may or may not have cried because it was so unexpectedly spicy." Shrugging she laughs a little. "That was a good day."

At that, Mal laughs out, shaking her head as takes the bag of jalapenos from Regina, and before Regina can turn back to the refrigerator, Mal's hand wraps around hers, tugging her to her and pressing an unexpected kiss to her lips. "Thank you," she murmurs as she pulls back, leaving Regina slightly breathless and a little dizzy as she turns to the cutting board and starts to chop.


	9. Chapter 9: Movies and Naps

Regina sighs as her jaw tenses and she looks sharply to Mal at the other end of the sofa, remote in hand and flipping through the channels.

They don't usually spend their afternoons this way, but it's the way they've spent the last several. It started with Henry and spread to Mal, and almost as soon as she'd started to sniffle and complain of a scratchy throat, Regina felt that familiar itch in her eyes that told her she'd be next. And though the worst was behind them all, they still didn't quite feel up to their usual routines.

She takes a breath and looks to the TV screen, her eyes sinking shut as the image on the screen changes for what seems like the thousandth time in the last few minutes.

"You know," she begins, trying in vain to keep her voice even. "It might be easier to settle on something if you watched for more than a half of a second."

Mal's blue eyes widen a bit as she looks away. "You sound annoyed."

"I am," she plainly admits. "The whole point of us sitting here with the TV on is to _watch_ it and distract ourselves for a little while." Mal shrugs and looks away, muttering something enjoying the flashing colors and Regina's eyes roll as she flips the channel a few more times.

"Here," she says, stopping at a random place before dropping the remote in her lap. "We'll watch this."

Regina blinks a couple of times as her eyes focus on a blonde woman sitting on a throne in a metallic silver dress and metal crown–and she stifles her urge to groan. "We… don't have to watch _this_."

"But you said to just pick something."

"Yes, but…" Her voice trails off as as she draws in a breath. "Not this."

Mal's eyes narrow and a grin tugs onto her lips, noting Regina's obvious bristling. She lifts the remote, staring intently as the queen on screen lifts her chin in a haughty yet icy way, and her grin brightens when she finds the button she'd been searching for–the button that will tell her the title whatever is playing on the screen.

Mal gasps as the title–Snow White and the Huntsman–appears on the screen and briefly, her eyes shift to Regina, watching as she tips up her chin in indignation. "Oh," she breathes out. "That's _you_."

"No," Regina says too quickly. "That's not me. It's… a caricature of me."

A soft snicker escapes her a she reads the summary of the movie. "They've called you Raveena." She bites down on her lip as she looks to Regina, losing a battle against herself not to laugh. "It's so close to Regina… yet so far."

"It's not, actually. None of the details are right."

"It could be worse," Mal says, in a voice that's supposed to be soothing, but comes out as teasing. "Other versions of this story call you _Grimhilde_." Regina's eyes widen and her lips part as Mal laughs again. "And if given a choice between the two, I'd prefer to be called Raveena."

Regina's eyes roll as her arms cross over her chest as she looks to the screen. "They all got it wrong," she scoffs. "To make everything that happened to have been over something so… trivial."

"Oh," Mal murmurs, softening as she stretches out her foot and rubs it over Regina's ankle. "I didn't…"

"Every version of that story paints me as some vapid…" She sighs. "Nevermind."

"They all ignore your broken heart and how they all treated you… and," a lopsided grin tugs up at the corners of her mouth, "I don't know about this one, but in that other version there's no mention of the torrid love affair you had with a misunderstood dragon."

Regina looks up, watching as Mal once more lifts the remote, this time turning off the TV. "I thought you wanted to watch it."

"No," Mal sighs looking from the darkened screen to Regina. "I don't need to watch. I know the story. I got to witness the original… from varying distances." She grins as her foot slides from Regina's ankle to her calf. "That's the version of the story I prefer–the one with my sad-eyed queen who only wanted to be loved."

"Is that so?"

Mal smiles as she sits up. "Yes, because even though it took far too long–certainly far longer than a particular dragon would have like–in that version, the queen found love."

Regina blinks at her for a moment, staring blankly–and then a grin starts to form. "That's true. She did." Leaning forward, Mal stretches out in Regina's direction, her hands settling on either side of her hips. She smiles as Regina's eyes fall to her lips and she pushes herself forward so that she hovers over her. "You're… sure you don't want to watch the movie?"

"Positive."

"Because…"

"Queen Raveena might be beautiful and she might be cunning, but she's a poor substitute for the real deal." Regina laughs a little, turning her face away as it reddens and she sniffles, and Mal's lips press to her jaw as she shifts herself to Regina's side. Her arm wraps loosely around her and Regina turns a little, catching her lips momentarily before resting her head on her shoulder–and then, it's not before long that they've fallen asleep.


	10. Chapter 10: Weekends Aren't For Working

Mal's heels click rhythmically against the tile as she makes her way toward Regina's office, a determined smile edging onto her lips. She brushes past her secretary, ignoring her protests that _the mayor_ is busy and asked not to be interrupted by _anyone_ , as she reaches for the door knob and lets herself in to the office.

Regina doesn't look up from her desk and her only acknowledgement of her presence is an arched brow and sigh. For a moment, she just stands there, her back against the door and a shopping bag in hand, wondering if perhaps this isn't the time or the place–and then, she remembers Regina was supposed to be home a little more than hour ago.

"I missed you today," she says, reaching behind herself to lock the door. "But something tells me, you didn't miss me."

Regina sighs again. "And what makes you say that?"

"Well, for starters, you've been locked up in your office all day, on a Saturday, no less and–"

"I told you," Regina murmurs, still not looking up. "I have a lot to catch up on."

Mal nods as she takes a few steps into the office, her stomach fluttering nervously. "You said you'd meet me for lunch and–"

"I didn't promise, and if I recall, you were in the middle of a mud bath."

"You could have taken your lunch afterward."

Regina groans and she drops her pen onto the desk and, finally, she looks up. "Are you trying to pick a fight?"

"No," Mal replies, a grin twisting back into her lips. "Quite the contrary."

"Then, why are you trying to guilt me for cancelling our spa day?"

"I'm not trying to guilt you, either," Mal tells her, practically purring as she sets the bag down on the edge of the desk. "In fact, I had a perfectly lovely afternoon. I had a facial and a mud bath and then, I sat in the sauna for awhile and just soaked up the steam and…" Her voice trails off as she laughs a little and rounds the desk, leaning against the edge just beside where Regina sits. "I just kept thinking how much nicer it'd be with you there."

"Mal…"

"It wasn't very crowded and we'd have had the sauna all to ourselves…"

"Mal," Regina says again, this time her breath hitching in her throat. "I don't know what you're doing, but…"

"I just want to tell you about my day," Mal says, cutting in as she innocently shrugs her shoulders. "Like I said, I missed you."

"Can't we do this later on?" Regina asks, sighing apologetically as she looks up to her and shakes her head. "I'm swamped. You know I am."

"Mm, that's what you keep saying…"

"Mal…"

"Regina, I've spent the whole day on my own, I don't think asking for a few minutes of your time is too much to ask for."

She watches as Regina softens and nods. "Okay, so… you were in the sauna all alone," Regina says, turning in her chair so that she's facing her. "Then what?"

"I'm so glad you asked," Mal says as a soft chuckle rises into her voice. "I closed my eyes and I pictured you there with me–your hair up in a turban and a little white towel wrapped around you." She grins. "And I kept thinking that, since we were all alone, we could… have a little fun together." Regina's brow arched curiously. "I kept thinking about kissing you and letting my hands slip beneath the towel, slowly exploring you, all the while wondering if we'd be caught…"

"Mal, this isn't fair. You're making me…"

"I'm making you what?" she asks, her eyes widening as she tips her head to the side. "I'm just… telling you about my day." Taking a breath, a coy grin edges onto her lips. "Well, after the spa, since you were unavailable for lunch, I decided to do a little shopping."

"Oh?"

"Mm," Mal nods. "And, I know I probably shouldn't have, but…" She laughs. "I couldn't help myself."

A grin tugs up at the corner of Regina's mouth and Mal watches as her eyes shift to the bag on the edge of the desk. "You never can."

Straightening herself up, Mal pushed away from the desk, rounding to the other side and looping her fingers underneath the bag's handles. "Why don't you take a short little break and let me show you what I got."

Regina's eyes narrow. "Isn't that what I'm doing now?"

"Over there," Mal says, nodding to the couch. "You look tense."

Regina's lips part and for a moment, it looks like she's about to argue. But, instead, she sighs and nods and pushes herself out of her desk chair, stretching her arms out in front of herself as she goes over to the couch. A grin edges onto Mal's lips as she passes her and she reaches for the knot of her trench coat, shrugging it off and tossing it onto Regina's desk.

"So, what do you think?" she asks, just as Regina sits down. "Do you like it?"

"You haven't shown me–" Regina turns and her lips part as her eyes look her up and down, taking in the dark navy blue lace teddy she's wearing. "Oh," Regina breathes out as her eyes slide down her long legs to her heels and then back up again, swallowing hard as she takes in the thin lace that plunges all the way down to her navel.

Regina's eyes remain on her as she sashays toward her, spinning around as she drops the bag onto the coffee table. A little grin tugs onto her lips as she hears a frustrated little sigh escape Regina. "Do you like it?" she asks, looking back at her over her shoulder and watching as Regina's eyes focus on her uncovered ass. "It's a little more revealing than the things I'm usually drawn to, but…"

"You look… incredible in it," Regina murmurs, struggling to lift her eyes to Mal's. "But then, that's usually true."

"You flatter me," Mal says as she turns back to her. "I'm not quite sure what came over me…" she murmurs as she places her knee on the couch beside Regina. "But the whole time I was at the spa, I kept thinking about how good it'd feel to slip into something so soft and lacy," she laughs a little as she reaches for Regina's hand. "My skin just feels so soft and smooth." Regina swallows as her eyes fall to her hand, letting her lift her and almost instinctively, Regina extends her fingers, letting them swipe over Mal's thigh. "Nice, isn't it?"

"Very," Regina murmurs, uncrossing her legs as her hand slips to Mal's hip. "You know, you're making it impossible for me to focus on work."

"Good."

"Mal…"

"You deserve a break," Mal cuts in as Regina's hand slips to her ass. " _I_ deserve for you to have a break."

Regina sighs and again, her eyes trail over Mal, noting the details of the lace–the way it falls loosely over her breasts and comes up around her neck, noticing way it just brushes teasingly at the top of her thighs, noticing her bare sides and the sneak peeks it allows when she turns herself in certain ways. "So, um… what's in the bag?" Regina asks, her hand rubbing absently down the back of Mal's thigh.

"Oh," she murmurs, as a coy little grin twists onto her lips. "Just some things I picked up to… coax you into taking a break, should that be necessary."

"Oh?" 

"Some things to… make it a little more fun."

A grin pulls at the corner of Regina's mouth. "We usually have quite a bit of _fun_ on our own."

'Mm, I agree," Mal says, slowly pulling away and feeling a little thrill of victory when a soft little whimper escapes Regina. "But, a little variety never hurt."

"No," Regina breaths out. "I suppose that's true."

Mal's fingers loop under the handles of the bag and she grins as she turns back to Regina, dropping the bag on the couch as she straddles Regina's lap. Her lips instantly find Regina's, kissing softly at first as her hands slide over Regina's blouse, her fingers pressing in and slowly pulling it up from her skirt. Regina shifts herself, lifting her hips as Mal tugs at the silky garment. Her lips slide over Regina's jaw, peppering her skin with kisses as her breath catches again and again and her hands slip up and down her bare back and ass as her own head falls back against the couch cushion.

Mal's fingers work quickly over the buttons of Regina's shirt, opening it up and pushing it off her shoulders as she pulls away from her, grinning down at her as she pushes herself up and lets the shirt fall down her arms. Casting it aside, Mal reaches around her, nibbing gently at her neck and giggling against her skin at the cherry red lipstick smudges she's left on Regina's skin, as she unhooks her bra. Leaning back, Regina grins, letting Mal pull it away from her body before diving back in–kissing harder this time, sucking at her skin and kneading her breasts, her kisses wetter and more hurried. Regina pulls her closer, her fingers sinking into her ass and drawing her in as her head dips forward. She catches her earlobe between her lips and sucks at it before settling on a spot just above her shoulder, her lips and tongue sliding against her skin each time Mal moves.

"This is better than working, isn't it?" Mal purrs as her hand slides up over Regina's jaw. "A much more enjoyable way to spend a Saturday, right?"

"I never said what I had planned would be _more_ enjoyable."

"Mm, I suppose you didn't," Mal murmurs, leaning back in and swiping her tongue down Regina's throat, edging herself back on her lap and smiling as Regina's hands begin to roam, her fingers teasingly dipping beneath the lace at her thighs.

Her fingers ghost down Regina's sides, grinning as Regina flinches then giggles as her hands reach to the zipper of her skirt, tugging it as far down as she can before Regina arches her back and lifts her hips, letting her tug the skirt down over her thighs. Pulling herself away from her, Mal stands up on her knees, roughly tugging the skirt down her legs, letting Regina kick it off as she kneels over her, taking a moment to look down her nearly naked body–she watches as her chest rises and falls, noticing how flushed her skin is and the way she squirms with anticipation of what's to come.

Letting out a husky breath, Regina reaches out and Mal can't help but let her eyes follow, watching as two of Regina's fingers slip beneath the thin lace between her legs, slowly pushing between her lips and dragging through the slickness. "Something tells me you found _another_ way to entertain yourself this afternoon, the spa and shopping aside."

"Mmm, I did," Mal nods, a smile twisting onto her lips as she rocks her hips gently back and forth against Regina's fingers. "Remember, I thought you'd be home an hour ago."

"So, you got started without me…"

"I was going to have you… walk in on a little show."

A grin edges slowly onto Regina's lips and Mal's breath catches in her chest as Regina's finger dip inside of her. Regina's fingers begin to curl–slowly and rhythmically, back and forth–and Mal finds herself grinding down against her hand, pushing her deeper as her thumb presses to her clit.

For a few minutes, she lets herself get lost in Regina's touch, enjoying her fingers and the sensations they stir–and then, reluctantly, with a long, drawn out breath, she eases herself back and away from Regina. Regina's bottom lip pouts out and she laughs a little as she slides off her lap, her fingers ghosting down over her legs as she parts her knees.

"I've been thinking about this all day," she tells her, as she looks up at her. Her hands slide up Regina's legs and hook through the elastic band at the sides of her panties. Her fingers curl, rubbing against her skin as Regina lifts herself, letting her drag down satin panties down her legs. "You know," she begins. "When I was in the sauna, I kept thinking about this… about burying my face between your legs, making you squirm and scream in that steamy little room… you riding my–"

"Do it then," Regina cuts in, a frustrated little groan rising into her voice. "Stop talking, and _do_ it."

Mal laughs as her hands push up Regina's inner thighs. "You know, for someone who wanted to spend her day working, you certainly are eager."

"Mal…"

She laughs again, but this time, she tugs Regina's hips down. Leaning in, her tongue flicks at Regina's clit, circling it as she presses in closer. Sucking hard, she feels Regina draw in a breath she smiles against her as her tongue flattens out and drags through the slickness between her legs. Regina lets out a moan as her hand tangles in her hair and her lips circle around her clit, sucking hard as her tongue swirls around it.

She's barely aware when Regina's hand slips beneath the lace strap of her teddy, twisting until the clasp at the back of her neck comes undone. Her back arches up a little as Mal nips at her, pulling back just enough for her tongue to slide between her lips. Regina's legs stretch out over her shoulders and her breath becomes more ragged, catching in her throat as she pushes out a little gasp when two of Mal's fingers slide inside of her and her lips return to her clit.

With Mal's twisting and curling inside of her, her lips sucking hard against her increasingly sensitive clit, Regina starts to writhe beneath her. Her breaths become quicker, her moans more frequent and when Mal slips a third finger in and her tongue flicks harder, she cries out a little and starts to tense up. Feeling Regina's arousal building and her climax nearing, Mal smiles against her. Looking up Regina's body, she watches as she squeeze her own breasts, rolling her nipples between her fingers–and suddenly, she's very aware of wetness between her own legs. She can feel it dripping down her thighs, her clit throbbing as it begs for attention.

Her fingers move at a quicker, more hurried pace, bending and curling inside of Regina as she starts to tense up, her back arching as she pants and moans, crying out as her hips buck against Mal–and then she explodes. A couple of long, slow licks later, Mal pulls away and stretches up her, planting her hands on either side of her thighs as her lips meet Regina's. Mal parts her lips with her tongue as Regina sighs contentedly and comes down from her high, her body suddenly kiss is soft and sensual, slow and unrushed–and when Mal pulls back a few minutes later, her eyes meet Regina's.

Her eyes close as Regina reaches between her legs, stroking lazily over her wet clit with one hand while the other tugs at the lacy garment around her hips. Mal grins as she helps Regina to tug it down–and she watches as a coy smile edges onto Regina's lips as she leans back against the couch.

"Com here," she breathes out, licking her lips as her eyes meet Mal's. "It's your turn."

For a brief moment, Mal just stares at her–looking down at her parted legs and sticky thighs, watching the way her breasts lift as Regina pulls her shoulders back, noticing her hardened nipples–and she lets out a little whimper and leans forward, kissing her way up her stomach, letting her tongue circle around her nipples, before pushing herself up with her hands. Grabbing the back of the couch, she pulls herself up the rest of the way, letting out a long, shaky breath as Regina's hands slide up over her ass.

It takes Regina a moment to get the angle right–and she grins as she feels Regina's breath on her skin. Closing her eyes, she inhales a breath as Regina's tongue swipes along her slit, moaning as she licks and sucks and grabs at her thighs.

She doesn't last for very long. Her hands clutch at the back of the couch and her knees begin to wobble–and mercilessly, Regina continues to lap at her, practically holding her up as she begins to shudder. With a hard flick and a quick nip at her clit, she loses all control, rocking her hips against Regina's mouth as her fingers tighten around the couch and her climax rips through her.

Slowly, she eases herself down, sitting in Regina's lap as her arms wrap around her, pulling her into a kiss. Regina's hands situate on her hips, her fingers gently gliding back and forth as they trade lazy kisses. Pulling back slightly, Mal cups Regina's face in her hands, pecking quickly at her lips before resting her forehead against hers, her heart still racing as she tries to catch her breath.

"You never told me what was in the bag," Regina murmurs, her fingers still kneading at Mal's hips.

"Go ahead and have a look," Mal replies, a grin pulling onto her lips as Regina absently reaches for the bag and pulls it over to them. "Remember how I said I wanted to give you a little show?" Regina's brow arches as she reaches into the bag, her eyes widening curiously as she pulls out a bright red silicone dildo with two heads. "I… thought it'd be fun."

Regina tips her head to the side. "So, when you said you'd found a way to entertain yourself…"

"Those were your words, not mine."

"Doesn't make them any less true," Regina says, looking back to her with a grin. "This is how you had your fun?" Mal nods. "So, what's the verdict?"

Laughing softly, Mal grins, reaching out and rubbing her finger along the ribbed toy. "That it'd be a hell of a lot more fun with you."

Regina nods as her bottom lip catches between her teeth–and then, with little warning, she shifts, flipping Mal onto her back and sliding her fingers between her legs. "What do you say we find out then?" she asks, arching an eyebrow as she giggles and leans in for another kiss.


	11. Chapter 11: Hooray for Sandra Dee

Regina groans as she enters the house–and the sound of _Grease Lightning_ hits her ears. She feels her entire body tense as she rolls her neck–this is Mary Margaret's doing, and she hates her for it. **  
**

When she'd suggested that Mal and Mary Margaret find some common ground, _this_ hadn't been at all what she meant. All she'd wanted is for them to be civil toward one another–for them to be able to sit across from each other at a family dinner and not shoot daggers at each other, to exchange pleasantries when they ran into each other at Granny's rather than sniping at one another. All she'd asked for was a little effort on their part of make life just a little bit easier for her and Henry–but she'd gotten way more than she'd bargained for and it made her miss the days when trying to be friendly meant ignoring the other's existence.

It started out innocently enough at a dinner at Emma's. Mary Margaret was in the kitchen cleaning up–transferring leftovers into plastic containers, loading the dishwasher, wiping down the counters–and listening to the _Sound of Music_ soundtrack. Mal's eyes widened and her lips pursed as she watched Mary Margaret twirl around the kitchen and she nearly looked insulted when Regina nudged her and suggested that she go and help.

"You _can't_ be serious," Mal whispered hoarsely as she looked from Regina to Mary Margaret. "I can't go in there now. I mean… Regina _look_ at her."

"I know, I know," Regina said with a sigh. "But, Mal, you know how much this means to me. Please? Just try?"

Mal's jaw tightened and her shoulders tensed as she watched Mary Margaret grab a stack of dishes and slide across the floor to the dishwasher as Julie Andrews beautifully proclaimed that the hills were alive…

She'd stood there a moment as Mal offered her help and Mary Margaret blinked blankly at her before reluctantly accepting the offer. As she walked away she heard Mal ask Mary Margaret about her choice of music–and she had no idea how that question would come to haunt her…

Since that evening, Mal's fascination with musicals only grew. Mary Margaret had shared her playlists, and from there Mal bounced from the _Sound of Music_ to _Wicked_ to _Bye Bye Birdie_ , and now, her current fascination was _Grease_. She listened to the soundtrack as she got ready in the morning and had the movie on as she went about her day, she hummed the songs and danced in the kitchen as she helped with dinner and quoted the movie in conversation. Wherever she was, a show tune seemed to follow.

Groaning, Regina climbs the stairs and follows the music to their bedroom.

"Mal?"

"In the bathroom," Mal calls. "You'll never guess what I found at the resale shop."

Flopping back on the bed, Regina sighs. "You went to the resale shop?"

"After lunch with Mary Margaret."

Regina's head lifts from the bed and she looks in the direction of the bathroom. "You had lunch with Mary Margaret?"

"Well, yes," Mal says as a chuckle rises into her voice. "I had to give her back her _Singing in the Rain_ DVD."

"Oh," Regina murmurs, as she lets her head fall back to the bed. "Of course, and how did that lead you to a resale shop?"

"She wanted to find some things for Neal's halloween costume."

"Oh," Regina murmurs as a wistful smile edges onto her lips, remembering the days when she and Henry would plan out elaborate costumes, scouring Storybrooke for the most perfect accessories. "What is he going to be for Halloween?"

"A pumpkin," Mal says simply as Regina's smile fades in disappointment. "But I also found a costume."

"Yeah?" Sitting up, Regina looks toward the streak of light that stretches out from the cracked open door. "So, now you've got me curiosity. I didn't know you were into Halloween." It seems odd to think that Mal wouldn't have wanted to celebrate Halloween–after all, it was a holiday that blended together so many of her favorite things. "You know, Belle is having that party and I–"

"That's _exactly_ what I was thinking about when I found this… or something along those lines." Regina's eyes narrow as a hint of giggle rises into Mal's voice. "It's the _perfect_ Sandy jacket."

"Sandy as in… Sandy from _Grease_?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Oh, how…" Regina sighs as her voice trails off and images of a bubble gum pink jacket and a poodle skirts flood her imagination and she can't quite find the words she's looking for to express her concern. "Well, are you going to come out and show me?"

"I'm not sure I've got the makeup _quite_ right yet, but I suppose I can show you." Regina looks to the bathroom door and grimaces when she hears Mal spray her hair and giggle softly to herself–and then the door opens and the music shuts off. "So, what do you think?"

Regina's lips part and her eyes widen a little–there is no unsightly pink to be found. Instead, Mal stands in the doorway, looking at her with wide and seductive eyes. Her hair is ratted and teased and she's wearing a deep red lipstick. Regina blinks and suddenly her eyes are focused on the tightest pair of black leather pants she's ever seen. They hug Mal's hips and legs, showing off each and every curve, leaving nothing to the imagination. If she didn't know better, she'd swear that they were painted on. Swallowing hard, Regina feels her mouth go dry and her eyes trail down Mal's seemingly never-ending legs to find a pair of red leather stilettos on her feet.

"Well?" Mal asks expectantly as a coy grin edges onto her lips. "You haven't said anything about the costume."

"It, um… it's…"

"I know it's not exact. I couldn't find black patent leather shoes, but I figured these would do."

"Mm," Regina nods as her eyes trail back up, watching the way Mal shrugs her shoulders–and suddenly, she's very aware of the black leather jacket Mal is wearing. "They definitely do."

"And the jacket?" Mal asks as her brow arches. "What do you think of the jacket?"

Regina blinks, noticing the way Mal's hands are inside the front pockets, holding it closed and accentuating her cleavage beneath the deep V-cut of the front. She feels a fluttering in her chest as Mal rolls her shoulders and pushes herself away from the door, careful to keep her hands in the pockets as she sashays toward Regina.

"Well… do you like it?"

Regina draws in a slow, deep breath as she watches the way the stiff leather refuses to move, somehow both hiding and accentuating the way Mal's body moves beneath it–and unlike the pants, _everything_ is left to her imagination, and her imagination is already wandering.

"Yes," she says finally as her eyes shift up to Mal's. "I like the jacket." A grin twists on her lips. "I especially like _you_ in the jacket."

She reaches for her, her hands finding her hips and pulling her in–and as she comes closer, Mal pulls her hands from the jacket's pockets and slides them up over Regina's shoulders, letting the jacket fall open.

Regina's brow watches as her eyes fall to the jacket–or more specifically to Mal's bare stomach. "You're… not wearing anything underneath," she murmurs as she forces her to shift up and meet Mal's. "It's… just the jacket."

"Mm, yeah," Mal nods. "I couldn't find anything to go underneath at the thrift store and then, I got to thinking." Regina watches as her coy little grin returns. "Do I really need to wear anything underneath?"

"I… don't know," Regina murmurs. "What did Sandy wear?"

Mal shrugs. "I don't know. I don't remember."

"You've seen that movie, like, twenty times."

"I know," Mal says, laughing a little. "But I also don't care."

"No?"

"No," Mal tells her with a nod. "I like the way it feels–the way the leather feels against my skin."

"I see," Regina murmurs, again swallowing hard as her eyes fall away from Mal's. "So, that's it. That's… all your plan to wear to Belle's party?"

"Well, at the party I'll zip it up," Mal says. "But not all the way."

"No?"

"No, I think I'll leave the zipper just low enough that…" Her voice trails off and she laughs as her hands slip over Regina's shoulders and she pushes herself closer. "Just enough that you might catch a little peek every now and then."

"Me and everyone else."

"I'm not worried about everyone else." Shaking her head, she chuckles softly as her she looks back up at Mal and lets her hands slip over the back of Mal's slippery leather pants. "You know I've never cared about what people think," Mal adds dismissively. "Besides, I love teasing you."

"I can tell," Regina says, a chuckle rising into her voice as she finds the thin zipper at the back of Mal's pants and gives it a little tug. Mal flinches, involuntarily pushing herself forward and closer to Regina–and Regina grins as sees a quick flash of Mal's breast beneath the jacket. "You know, we should get you out of these. They seem awfully thin and it'd be a pity if you ruined such a great costume before Halloween."

"Mm, so you're going to help me out of my costume?"

"I am," Regina says, once more tugging at the zipper before slipping her hand inside and cupping Mal's ass. "But, um…" Her voice trails off and she laughs as she looks up at Mal and arches her brow. "You're going to leave the jacket on."

"Am I?"

A sly little grin tugs onto Regina's lips. "Absolutely."


	12. Chapter 12: Christmas Glow

Mal peers around the corner, watching as Regina pulls a blanket tighter around herself and shivers.

It's Christmas Eve and the first Christmas they've spent together in what seems like an eternity–and it's also the first Christmas in fourteen years that Regina won't be spending it with her son.

The weather forecasts said there'd be light snow, and that had proven to be the the understatement of the century. The snow had started the morning before, falling in big clusters as it created a blanket across the yard. She'd smile and peered up at the white sky–and she'd made a comment about how looked like they were somehow stuck in a snow globe. Regina had laughed and smiled, and she'd made them cups of peppermint tea–and for awhile, they'd sat together by the window and watched the snow come down.

The tree glowed with colorful lights, and it was warm and cozy–and she couldn't help but enjoy that for the time being, it'd just the two of them, cuddled up with her underneath a heavy knit blanket and watching the snow falling in what felt like such a perfect holiday moment.

But the snow hadn't stopped.

They watched as the curb disappeared beneath the snowy blanket, and then, in the blink of an eye, the first step of the porch was hidden from sight. It'd been around then that Emma called and said she didn't think she'd be able to get Henry back to Regina's. Obviously, Regina understood–and she'd been adamant that Emma shouldn't even try make it across town with Henry–but that didn't mean she wasn't disappointed.

By the time she'd gotten off the phone the porch had disappeared beneath the snow, and still it was coming down–and it wasn't long after that that the lights started to flicker, and suddenly the snow didn't see so innocent or idyllic as a cool chill slowly spread through the house.

"I brought you some more tea," Mal says, rounding the corner into the room. "This'll keep you warm."

"Thank you," Regina says, a soft smile pulling onto her lips. "It's days like this I'm envious of your dragon blood."

Mal smiles back and sits down on the chair's arm. "I admit, it's nice not to be chilly, but it makes summer miserable."

She watches as Regina takes a long sip of the tea. "I promise," she says, looking up over the rim of the mug. "I'll stop sulking soon. I just need… a little more time."

"Oh, I don't mind the sulking," Mal murmurs. "Though I am lonely, sitting downstairs in the dark."

"You don't _have_ to be alone downstairs in the dark, you know," Regina tells her in a very practical tone. "You could stay up here with me."

Mal bites down on her lip. "I could…"

"But you won't?"

She shrugs. "I've just… got a project I'm working on."

Regina's brows arch. "A project, hm?" Her eyes narrow as she breathes in the steamy tea. "What project?"

"I want to cheer you up."

At that, Regina grins. "You don't have to do that. I'm fine and I'm… overreacting."

"You miss Henry. You're not overreacting," Mal says, squaring her shoulders. "It's Christmas and you don't have your son. You have the right to be glum."

Regina blinks. "Glum?" Mal chuckles softly and nods, offering no explanation for her choice of words. "And it's not actually Christmas. It's only Christmas Eve."

"Which, from the way you two made it seem is equally, if not more, important."

Regina shrugs. "I'm sure he's having a good time at Emma's."

"And I'm sure he's missing you."

Regina's brow arches. "No, he's having fun playing with battery-operated games and enjoying the freedom of–"

"He's missing you," Mal cuts in, her voice rising over Regina's. "He may have pizza and no set bedtime, but I saw the way his eyes lit up when he talked about baking cookies with you every year. It might be nice to have a little freedom here and there, but he was looking forward to those cookies."

A little grin edges onto Regina's lips. "Well, maybe he does miss the cookies."

"And you."

She nods. "And me."

Mal chews at her lip for a moment, narrowing her eyes and watching as Regina takes long sips of her tea. "Come down stairs," she says. "I'm not quite ready, but it might be fun to finish up together."

"Oh, I'm not really in a–"

"Please?" Mal's eyes widen and she smiles expectantly, her lashes batting as she leans forward and squeeze Regina's blanket-covered knee. "You wrapped my present in shiny red paper and it's taken _everything_ in me not to rip it apart." That earns a grin. "Come on, I've got the living room all set up and–"

"Set up?"

Mal nods and this time, she reaches for her hand. "I built up the fire and decorated the tree, and–"

Regina's head tips to the side as she lets her pull her up. "The tree was already decorated."

"With lights that won't light up."

"Well, the electricity is out and–"

Mal's voice halts and a soft chuckle replaces her words as Regina scrambles up, her eyes widening at the realization that Mal has likely–and most definitely–decorated the tree with candles. She follows behind her, carrying the left-behind mug of tea–and she can't help but smile as Regina stands at the threshold of the living room, taking it in.

There's fire crackling by the hearth and a pallet of warm blankets and pillows. Next to it on a little snack tray is a cutting board stacked with tiny slices of cheeses and sausage and rows of crackers, and a crock of mulled wine. The smell of oranges and cloves wafts through the air and all along the mantle and over the tables, candles burning brightly and give the illusion of warmth.

"People have been decorating Christmas trees with candles for centuries, you know," Mal says easily. "I don't know what you're so worried about, and I haven't even lit them yet."

"I was worried about you burning down the house," she says before turning as a grin pulls onto her lips. "Or maybe just the tree."

Mal fights a grin. "That was one time."

Regina laughs–and it's a real, genuine laugh, and the first she's heard all day. Her grin brightens and she takes her hand, leading her into the living room and grabbing a thick wooly blanket from the back of an armchair. She drapes it over her shoulders and then slides her around her waist, pulling her in and pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Want to help me finish?"

"Lighting the tree?"

"Yeah," Mal says with an easy shrug as she reaches for one of the candles.

She can feel Regina watching her as she draws in a breath and concentrates–and then, she feels the warmth in her cheeks as she release her breath and a little flame touched to the candles wick. She watches for a moment as the flame flickers and grows, and she smiles as Regina reaches for one of the candles on the tree.

They spend awhile lighting them–carefully, mostly for Regina's comfort–and then, they settle on the pallet of blankets.

"Do you remember that one Christmas," Mal asks, blinking as she pours two mugs of the mulled wine. "It was snowy then, too."

"You mean the only other one we spent together."

Mal nods. "The only one I bothered to celebrate until today."

"Oh…"

"No, no," Mal cuts in. "I didn't say that to make you feel bad, and I hate that Henry isn't here with us."

Regina smiles gently and nods as she takes the mug of wine. "Yes," she says slowly as she looks up over the rim wine, breathing in the warmth. "Of course I remember that Christmas."

"I still can't believe we got away with it."

Regina laughs. "Neither can I, but… I think Leopold was glad to be rid of me for awhile and I'm not sure my maid would have ever complained about a couple of days off."

"No," she murmurs, "I suppose not."

"And Leopold would have never wanted Snow to _catch_ what I supposedly had."

Mal laughs out. "And your maid was probably all too relieved that Leopold _so thoughtfully_ arranged for a nursemaid, so she didn't catch the plague herself."

"Well I was _gravely_ ill."

"Mm, yes," Mal nods. "I remember–and given what a terrible liar you are–"

"Hey…"

"You played the part well."

"I really wanted that time with you," Regina says easily as a soft laugh escapes her. "I'm still shocked that we got away with it, though," she says as a grin twists onto her lips. "Even if you did nearly burn down the castle."

"Stone doesn't burn that way. It would've been fine," Mal says indignantly. "And I do believe _you_ were the one who tugged at the tree skirt and made it wobble and… ignite."

Regina's brow arches and she looks up from over the rim of the mug. "Because of what _you_ were doing to me."

"That's fair," Mal condeeds. "I always did love making you squirm."

Regina laughs and nods–and then leans in brushing her lips against hers. "Thank you," she breathes out. "This was sweet," she says, pulling back just far enough for their eyes to meet. "And don't think I don't realize that this is almost exactly like–"

"I rather like it without those strange gargoyles Leopold had all over the place."

Regina's eyes roll. "Those were hideous and he loved them."

"They were a tad unsettling. They looked like miniature dragons that–"

"Says the dragon."

A grin edges onto Mal's lips. "I'd like to think that I'm the adorable sort of dragon–not the creepy sort that you can't help but feel will steal your soul if you look into its eyes for too long." She pauses and her brow arches. "You know, speaking of recreating that Christmas…"

"Oh…?"

"I see to remember us wearing quite a bit less clothing."

Regina laughs out. "And I seem to remember it being a lot warmer."

"Who says I can't keep you warm?" Mal asks, her shoulders squaring. "You know, I read recently that body heat–" Regina laughs out and leans back in, kissing her gently. "See," she murmurs into the kiss as she sets down her mug and pulls Regina's away from her. "You're warming up already."

"Am I?"

"Mmm," she murmurs as her tongue traces along Regina's lip. "You are."

Regina starts to lay back and Mal can't help but laugh as her eyes shift toward the tree to gauge their distance–and then, the metallic red paper catches her eye. She sits up and Regina whimpers a little, her brow furrowing as she pouts at the loss of contact.

"We should exchange presents," Mal decides, her eyes wide–and Regina can't help but laugh as she she pulls herself up. "I can't wait for you to see what I got you."

"Oh, I thought… we were…" She sighs. "But I was obviously wrong."

Mal is already up and at the tree before Regina can actually protest, and carefully, she pulls out a metallic gold bag with green and red shiny tissue paper sticking up from the top. A grin pulls onto Regina's lips as she gathers a blanket around herself as moves slowly toward the tree–and Mal squirms with anticipation as Regina plucks the tiny box wrapped in shiny red paper from the pile.

"I've been thinking about this _all_ day."

"I'm sure you have," Regina muses as she hugs the blanket tighter. "Let's go back to the fire," she says, tugging on Mal's hand–and all the while, Mal's eyes stay fixed on the red box. "I think you should go–" Her voice halts and she laughs out as Mal's fingers wiggle with anticipation. "Merry Christmas, Mal," Regina says, sighing through a laugh as she leans in and presses a kiss to her cheek and drops the shiny red box into her lap.

Mal draws in a breath as her eyes widen and she looks quickly from the box to Regina and then back to the box, and slowly she pulls the paper from it, careful not to tear it. She twists the green ribbon between her fingers and bites down her on her lip as she pulls the top off of the box–and then, she her breath catches in her throat and again, she feels her own eyes widening.

In the box, beneath some soft gold tissue–that she also wants to save–sits a little gold coin on a chain. She blinks and looks momentarily to Regina, watching as her smile broadens. She looks back to the necklace, holding it up in front of her as she examines its every detail–and her breath catches as she notices the crest stamped into the center of the coin, and she recognizes it from her hoard.

She swallows hard as she drops the chain down and focuses on the coin, rubbing her long fingers over the edge, remembering the little room at the back of her castle where she tucked away her favorite treasures.

"I've been saving it for… well, since the curse."

"Why?"

"It reminded me of you," Regina says simply. "And now, I don't need a reminder of you because I have you."

Mal swallows and her heartbeat slows as warm tears well in her eyes–and suddenly, it's hard to look away from Regina. "Mine's not as good."

Regina's brow arches. "Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

Mal nods and hands her the gold bag, momentarily distracted as the light catches it, making it glimmer and shine as Regina lowers it to her lap.

"It's heavy."

"It is…"

"A book," Regina says before it's out of the bag. "Well, so far you're off to a good start. I love books."

"I know," Mal murmurs. "I remember all those nights you spent reading them instead of doing… other things." A grin twists onto Regina's lips. "I loved watching you though, watching you lose yourself in another world and–" She laughs. "And it gave me something else to collect."

"I remember that, too," Regina says, pulling the book from the bag. "You had quite the little library."

Mal shrugs. "I had to lure you into my lair somehow."

"You didn't need to lure me," Regina says, rolling her eyes. "I loved being with you. I loved… everything about being with you." She blinks down at the book. "I felt so… alive."

Mal hold her breath, remembering those years and all of their adventures together–and like Regina, she remember how for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, she was alive.

"I can see why you picked this," Regina muses, rubbing her fingers over the gold edged pages. "Shiny."

"Open it," Mal urges. "You'll see why I–"

She stops as Regina opens to the first page, and then looks up to Mal. "Where did you–"

"The pawn shop," Mal finishes. "I was browsing and, there it was… sitting all alone on a shelf." She grins. "And yes, the gold pages caught my eye, but that's not why I bought it for you."

"I remember this place," Regina breathes out as she looks to a water color field. Mal nods, remembering laying with her on her back amid a sea of orange poppies, trading lazy kisses and the warm sun bathed them. "And…" She blinks as she turns to the next page.

"Scenery from the Old World," Mal explains, reading out and folding the book closed, pointing to the title. "We visited so many of those places."

"Yeah," Regina murmurs, turning the page to a still lake that shimmers in the moonlight–and Mal can see that she remembers that one too, remembering how they'd floated on their backs, letting the water soothe them as crickets frogs chirped from the banks. Regina smiles and again turns the page, and Mal slides closer and cuddles into her side, resting her head atop hers as the warmth of their memories flood them as they flip through the pages.


	13. Chapter 13: New Year's Kiss

It'd been a petty fight fueled by stress, and now they were both too stubborn to admit they'd overreacted, and both too stubborn to admit that they'd done something they weren't ready to do… that it wasn't even something they _wanted_ to do.

They'd decided to host a New Year's Eve party–just an intimate little gathering of their friends and family, something light and fun to bring in another year. The coming year would be significant for them in a lot of ways–it meant they'd have survived a series of firsts and a series of second firsts, that they'd found their way back together after life had torn them apart and that they'd somehow managed to build themselves back up from the rubble–and that was worth celebrating. But truly, they weren't interested in a big gathering; they'd only wanted to celebrate together and though they wouldn't admit it, they resented that they couldn't do just that.

Privately, they tried to convince themselves that it wouldn't be so bad to ring in the New Year with a house full of friends and family, that it'd be enjoyable and maybe even a new tradition that they could repeat for years to come–and the more the thought about that notion, they less they wanted it and the crankier they got.

But there was nothing that they could do other than to pretend they'd have fun and that the evening wouldn't be filled with tension and the sorts of fake smiles that made their cheeks hurt.

The morning of New Year's Eve they'd both awoken with a sense of dread, and before they'd even made a pot of coffee, Mary Margaret phoned to let them know that she and David would be late–something about needing to find a new sitter–and their plans had to be altered to accommodate her.

And that's when it started.

Regina had tried to appease her, telling her that it wasn't a big deal and that they didn't mind the delay, and Mal had rolled her eyes–and then, there'd been a _tone_.

From there it was followed by a misunderstanding about the sorts deserts they'd be serving–and suddenly, it seemed that serving chocolate covered raspberries instead of strawberries with the champagne was the most unconscionable thing imaginable.

And by the time the coffee had finished brewing, they were in the midst of a full-fledged fight.

Henry had ducked out of the way, hiding in his room with ear buds and video games while Regina and Mal stomped around the house, slamming doors and hurling accusations they very well knew were unfounded and hurtful.

At one point, only fifteen minutes before the first of their guests was scheduled to arrive, Regina had suggested they cancel the whole thing; after all, that was what she thought _Mal_ wanted–and it was–but Mal refused, not willing to give in, and another petty fight began.

Dinner had been tense.

Everyone could feel the anger between them, but no one said anything about it, they all just pretended it wasn't happening, that everything was fine–and that only fueled their annoyance. And then, just as dinner was ending, Henry made an ill-timed quip about being surprised that neither of them had torched the house–and somehow that sparked yet another argument in the kitchen that they pretended their guests couldn't hear.

No matter how hard they tried, they kept ending up in the other's way–and they made an extra effort to be social and accommodating which was exhausting for them both.

"It's almost midnight," Henry announces–and Regina feels her jaw tighten as she looks to the clock, watching as the seconds passed, ready for the night to be over.

"This is ridiculous," Mal sighs as she comes to stand beside her. "I don't even know why I'm mad at you."

Regina blinks. "It's because _I_ invited all of these people over… and neither of us even like most of them."

A little laugh escapes her. "You say that, but it's not true."

Regina's eyes roll and she sighs. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…" Her voice trails off as she look up at Mal. "You shouldn't allow me to make big decisions when I've had more than a glass of wine."

Mal's brow arches. "So, it's my fault?"

"No," Regina admits in a small voice.

"I should have said something, though," Mal says as a lopsided little grin edges onto her lips and she shifts awkwardly toward Regina. "And I'm sorry, too."

They're barely aware that the countdown has begun–and Mal slides her hand up over Regina's jaw. Regina leans into her touch and draws in a breath as her hand folds lightly around Mal's wrist. Her eyes fall to Mal's lips and she feels a nearly uncontrollable urge to kiss her–and it seems the urge is mutual because just as the clock strikes midnight, Mal draws her in, pressing her lips to hers as all the anger and tension simply melts away.


	14. Chapter 14: Smoldering S'mores

Regina's jaw tightens as she looks up from the counter just in time to see Mal's eyes widen as she watches her roughly kneading a lump of cookie dough with her fists. There are plates of cookies scattered around the small kitchen and she can smell some sort of apple pie or pasty baking in the oven.

"Um, love," Mal begins in a cautious voice. "What are you doing?"

"What else does one usually do with a ball of dough?" She asks as he looks pointedly to Mal. "I'm making ginger naps.

"Mm, of course," Mal murmurs as she tosses the dough back to the counter top. "But it's three in the morning."

Regina doesn't look up from the dough; instead she just nods and punches her fist into the dough. "I'm aware."

"Well, as much as I've loved the cookies and cakes and other goodies you've been serving for breakfasts and snacks and… lunch… and dinner and…"

Regina bristles as her brow arches. "Is there a point you're trying to make?"

"Regina, we came all the way up here to–"

"All the way up here?" Regina cuts in as she looks pointedly to Mal. "We're twenty minutes outside of Storybrooke. We've barely–"

"Okay," Mal says, her voice soft and low as it rises over Regina's. "I know you _say_ baking calms you down, but it wasn't working at home, so I don't think it's going to work here–and the whole point of coming here was to get away from everything that was stressing you out for a few days."

Regina's jaw tights as her eyes fall back to the dough, and then her palm slams down into it. "Well, the stress followed me."

Mal sighs as she crosses the kitchen, coming up behind her and wrapping her arms around her waist as she hugs her and presses a kiss to her shoulder. "Oh, love…"

Regina's eyes press closed and she draws in a breath. Mal is soft and warm and smells vaguely of burning embers. Months before she learned that she had a challenger in that year's upcoming election–and earlier in the week the Storybrooke Mirror ran the results of a poll that showed her challenger the preferred choice. It was close–she was only down by a couple of percentage points–and Mal and Henry and Granny, and even David and Mary Margaret assured her that it didn't mean anything and not to take it to heart.

But she did.

How could she not?

They'd never chosen her and they'd never wanted her–not as queen and now, not even as mayor.

"Come back to bed."

"I… can't."

"Regina," Mal coos. "You've barely slept and–"

"I can't sleep. I can't… do anything I just–"

"Well, that's not true," Mal cuts in as her loosens her hold on her and turns, leaning against the edge of the counter to face her. "You can obviously still bake." She knows it's supposed to be a joke, but she can't even muster a smile–and when her eyes meet Mal's, her smile fades. "Okay, well, just… come back to bed."

"I can't." She sighs. "I told you, I can't do anything. No matter what, it's not good enough and it doesn't change all of the terrible things I've done in the past. I just–" She stops and presses her eyes closed. "My magic is even… off."

"You just need to relax."

"Easier said than done."

"I know," Mal murmurs. "But maybe I could… help you."

Regina blinks. "Help me?"

Mal nods and a little grin. "We could build a fire on the beach and–"

"It's January."

"So we'll bundle up and…" Her grin turns coy. "I'll find a way to keep you warm."

"I love you, but I don't think _you_ could even keep me warm with weather like this."

"Then, we'll make a fire in here here," Mal says easily, shrugging her shoulders. "We'll cuddle up under a blanket on the floor and we'll make s'mores and–"

"There's no firewood," Regina sighs. "I forgot to have it delivered."

"You forget," Mal says and a little laugh rises into her voice. "I'm a dragon. I don't need firewood." At that, Regina smiles–and Mal brightens. "So, we'll make s'mores and get all sticky and–" Regina laughs out as Mal's hand slips over her hip. "I promise, by the time the sun comes up, you won't be feeling any stress."

"What are you going to do? Put a spell on me?"

"You could call it that," Mal says, biting down on her lip. "Now, come on, you go wash the dough off your hands and I'll grab the marshmallows."

Regina nods as Mal presses a kiss to her cheek and she watches her disappear into the darkened living room of the beach house–and already, her shoulders feel a little looser. Taking a breath, she turns to the sink and washes her hands and then she grabs a tupperware container filled with still-warm brownies before joining Mal in the living room.

A soft little grin tugs up at her lips as she looks around. Glowing candles sit atop the end tables and at the center of the coffee table, they line the mantle and are even clustered around the hearth–and then, she spots Mal, watching as she leans over a candle, puckering her lips and blowing softly just before a little flickering flame catches the wick.

She grins when she notices Regina and holds out her hand–and she can't help but smile and her finger fold down between Mal's, and she lets her lead her to a pile of pillows and blankets on the floor.

They settle together and Mal snakes her arm around her hips, placing a quick and fluttering kiss on her jaw as a shiver runs down her spine–and just as she turns to try to catch her lips between hers, Mal pulls back and reaches for a skewer. Swallowing hard, she blinks and watches as Mal pushes two marshmallows onto the skewer–and her breath catches in her throat as she watches Mal breath fire onto them, leaving them brown and crisp. And when Mal's eyes meet hers, her cheeks flush slightly–there's always been something so erotic about watching her breathe fire and it's never failed to rile her up in all the right ways.

"We, um… don't have graham crackers here," Regina murmurs, her mouth suddenly dry as she lifts the container of brownies. "So, I figured we could put the brownies I made to good use."

"Ooh, I like that," she says as she chooses one and the breaks it in half, carefully using each piece to slowly pull the marshmallows from the skewer. "You first," she says, handing Regina the brownie s'more. "You need it a little more than I do."

Regina nods and takes it from her, biting into the s'more as she watches Mal push two more marshmallows onto the skewer–and then, just as her lips pucker, preparing to roast them, she turns and grins, licking her bottom lip before leaning in and sucking a smudge of marshmallow from the corner of her mouth.

And just as promised, she can't even remember why she was stressed–all she can think of is Mal.


End file.
